Past and present of Wyandot County, Ohio; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement;

OENEALOGY COLLECTION

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PAST AND PRESENT

OF

WYANDOT COUNTY

OHIO

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ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME II

CHICAGO

THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1913

BIOGRAPHICAL

258171

ALBERT REBER.

Among the agriculturists of Crane township who have
achieved prominence as men of marked ability and substan-
tial worth is numbered Albert Reber, one of the extensive
landowners and successful business men of this locality. His
holdings aggregate twelve hundred acres and his farm is con-
ducted along such modern and progressive lines that his activ-
ities have had an important effect upon agricultural standards
in the state.

Albert Reber was born in Fairfield county, October 23,
1845, and is a son of Thomas Y. and Rachael (Allen) Reber,
both natives of the same section, the father born June 17,
1806, and the mother October 22, 1808. She was a member
of a family that was well known in Wyandot county and for
over one hundred j^ears prominent in Fairfield county, and
traced her ancestry back to the Pilgrims. The first of the
family to come to America was Samuel Allen, who emigrated
from Bridgewater, Somerset county, England, and settled in
Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1620. His son, Samuel (II),
was born in 1632 and his sister, born in 1639, married J oseph
Standish, a son of Miles Standish, of the Mayflower. This
Samuel Allen married Sarah Partridge and their son, also
named Samuel, was born in 1660 and in 1685 married Rebecca
Carey. Their son, Timothy Allen, was born in .1691 and
became the grandfather of General Ethan Allen, of Revolu-
tionary war fame. Rebecca Allen, the mother of Timothy,
died in 1697 and his father subsequently married Mary Alden,
a daughter of Joseph, a son of Captain John Alden, made
famous by Longfellow in his poem on Miles Standish. Of this
union were born six children, the eldest of whom was Joseph,
whose birth occurred in 1701 and who with his parents and
the rest of the family in 1727 moved to Connecticut and settled
at Norwich. Later they removed from that place to Canter-
bury. At Norwich Joseph Allen married Rebecca Fuller, of
Preston, Connecticut, and their son, Barnabus, was born Feb-
ruary 24, 1729, at Norwich. In 1752 Barnabus Allen married
Elizabeth Fuller, a daughter of Randolph Fuller, and they had
a son Silas, who was born in 1754. He enjoyed the advantages

5

6

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

of a superior education and embraced the profession of med-
icine. On May 16, 1776, he married Mary Cleveland, a daugh-
ter of Samuel Cleveland, his wife being a fourth cousin of
Moses Cleveland, the founder of the city by that name in
Ohio and related to the ancestors of Grover Cleveland. Soon
after their marriage Dr. Allen and his wife moved to Middle-
town, Vermont, and in 1800, left there for the west, intending
to go as far as the Mississippi river, but arriving in Fairfield
county and finding the country bordering Toby creek inviting
they concluded to remain there and became permanent set-
tlers. Among their eight children was Jedadiah Allen, the
fourth in order of birth, and the father of Mrs. Rachael Reber.
He was born in Vermont and at an early age came with his
parents to Ohio, making settlement upon a farm in Amanda
township, Fairfield county. Here he devoted his life to agri-
cultural pursuits, becoming largely interested in stock-raising.
A man of progressive ideas, he was prominent and influential
in his connnunity. He passed away on the 5th of September,
1856, at Royalton, Ohio. His wife was in her maidenhood
Sarah Bull and her marriage to Jedadiah Allen took place in
1803, their children being: Rachael, the mother of our subject;
Howard Allen, born in 1811; and Lyman Allen, born in 1813.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas V. Reber have passed away,
the father’s death occurring on December 5, 1895, he having
survived his wife for about five years, her demise occurring
in 1890. To their union were born eight children: Felix, who
died in 1878; Sarah, who passed away in 1904; Minerva, also
deceased; Mary A., whose death occurred in 1911; John, who is
a resident of Oklahoma; Lenox, who resides in Marion, Ohio;
Albert, of this review; and Lucy, who has passed away.

Albert Reber acquired his education in the district schools
and pursued his studies until he was eighteen years of age,
at which time he entered his father’s employ and worked in
his interest for several years. He began his independent agri-
cultural career by purchasing the family homestead, to which
he has added from time to time until he has now accumulated
twelve hundred acres, his land lying on sections 5, 7, 8 and 9,
Crane township. The farm is one of the most noted proper-
ties in Wyandot county, having been known as the Armstrong
farm. It has been occupied for over one hundred years and
comprises land that has never yet been under the plow. He
raises thereon general farm products, specializing in corn and

PAST AND* PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

7

hay, of which abundant crops are harvested owing to the care
and labor which Mr. Reber bestows upon his fields. He fol-
lows only the most modern methods of agriculture and uses
the latest improved machinery to facilitate his labors so that
his efforts are attended with gratifying success. In addition
he is extensively interested' in stock-raising, keeping fifty-five
cattle, one thousand sheep, one hundred hogs and three horses,
his stock commanding a high price and a ready sale in the
local markets. In addition to general farming Mr. Reber has
extensive and valuable business interests in Upper Sandusky,
where he owns the Reber Hotel and two business blocks and
is a stockholder and director in the First National Bank.

On the 5th of April, 1898, Mr. Reber was united in mar-
riage in Upper Sandusky to Miss Mattie J. Bowman, the cere-
mony being performed by Rev. D. G. Carson in the Presby-
terian church. Mrs. Reber is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Bowman, the former a prominent farmer. The par-
ents came originally from Pennsylvania, but the father was of
German extraction and the mother of Scotch-Irish stock.
Mrs. Reber was a school teacher for twenty years, being emi-
nently successful along this line, and is a lady of rare refine-
ment and many high qualities of mind and character. Her
father died in 1885 and his wife’s death occurred in the fol-
lowing year. Mr. and Mrs. Reber became the parents of a
son, Thomas A., who is attending school.

Mr. Reber gives his political support to the men and meas-
ures of the republican party and, while he takes a deep inter-
est in public matters, keeping himself informed on all the
current topics of the day, he has never been active as an office
seeker. His life has been one of continuous activity, in which
has been accorded due recognition of labor, and today he
stands as a representative of the substantial citizens of Wyan-
dot county.

CONSTIEN BROTHERS.

The firm of Constien Brothers is one well known in Upper
Sandusky, where they are conducting a growing and profitable
business as growers of plants and flowers. These brothers,
Bernhardt E. and Alvin A. Constien, are both natives of Up-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

per Sandusky, the former born December 22, 1877, and the
latter on the 19th of September, 1879. Their father, William
H. Constien, was a native of Hanover, Germany, born Octo-
ber 16, 1839, and was a gardener by occupation. He spent
the first twenty-five years of his life in the fatherland and
then determined to try his fortune in the new world. Accord-
ingly he crossed the Atlantic and for several years was a resi-
dent of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but in 1872 came to Upper
Sandusky. He married Emily Benecke, who was born in Ber-
lin, Germany, in 1843. Their marriage was celebrated in that
country and after traveling life’s journey together for a very
extended period they were separated by the death of the wife
on the 8th of August, 1902. Of their children Otto died in
infancy. The others are Theodore, Emma, William H., Albert,
Adolph, Bernhardt E., Alvin A. and Oscar.

Bernhardt E. Constien pursued his education in the public
schools until he reached the age of eighteen, when he turned
his attention to the business in which he is now engaged. His
brother Alvin was a pupil in the common schools until he
reached the age of thirteen, when he became a high-school
student in Upper Sandusky. He afterward attended college
at Defiance, Ohio, and was graduated there when eighteen
years of age. He also attended the Ohio Normal School at
Ada, where he devoted one year to the study of pharmacy,
at the end of which time he passed the examination before
the state pharmaceutical board and became a drug clerk,
filling that position for two years. On the expiration of that
period he took up the study of dentistry in the Ohio Medical
College at Columbus and was graduated in 1894 with the de-
gree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He now practices at his
residence but has been obliged to discontinue his professional
work to some extent, owing to his health. He is associated
with his brother in the growing of plants and in the sale of
cut flowers, and they are prominent dealers in their line in the
city.

Bernhardt E. Constien was married on the 3d of December,
1902, to Miss Marie Miller, a daughter of Alpheus and Jose-
phine Miller, of Chatsfield, Crawford County, Ohio. They
have two children, Karl and Norman. Alvin A. Constien wed-
ded Laura Fink, a daughter of John and Mary A. Fink. His
marriage occurred November 14, 1901, and they have one
child, Raymond John. The brothers are independent in their

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

9

political affiliations. They hold membership with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Rebekahs, and
their religious faith is that of the German Lutheran church.
They have well equipped greenhouses and are conducting a
successful business in plant culture while their sale of cut
flowers adds materially to their own income. Their plant cov-
ers five thousand square feet but the business is growing to
such an extent, that ‘at this writing four thousand more feet of
glass area are being added to their greenhouses.

ALBERT H. MARTENS.

Starting out in the business world as an errand boy Albert
H. Martens has gradually worked his way upward and is now
owner of an extensive brewery, his property in that connec-
tion being valued at twenty-five thousand dollars. Mr. Mar-
tens is a native of Germany, born June 17, 1871. His father,
William Martens, whose natal year was 1839, was a laborer of
that country and when he came to America in 1882 he settled
at Detroit, Michigan. Ten years later he passed away. His
Avife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Ott, was born in Ger-
many in 1839 and died in 1897. In their family were five chil-
dren : Rudolph, Bertha, Augusta, Louisa and Albert H.

The last named remained in Germany until ten years of
age, when the parents came with their family to the new world
and he completed his education, begun in the schools of his
native land, by study in the public schools of Detroit. At
fourteen years of age, however, he put aside his text-books and
for a year thereafter worked as errand boy. He next began
learning the carpenter’s trade, which he followed until twenty-
one years of age, when he entered the grocery and saloon busi-
ness, opening a store of his own in Detroit. With the excep-
tion of a year and a half spent as an employe in a brewery
he continued in business there until 1911, when he sold his
grocery store and saloon and purchased the Upper Sandusky
Brewery. Since assuming its management he has been very
successful, building up a trade which is constantly growing.
The brewing plant is well equipped with modern machinery
and is worth twenty-five thousand dollars, while its capacity
is five thousand barrels annually. In addition to his other in-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

terests Mr. Martens is also extensively engaged in the ice
business, employing several wagons in the delivery of that
product in Upper Sandusky.

On the 30th of January, 1906, in Detroit, Michigan, Mr.
Martens was married to Miss Lillian Egle, a daughter of
Henry and Bertha (Zimmerman) Egle, the former well
known throughout the country as a pottery manufacturer.
Mr. and Mrs. Martens have but one child, Allen. The parents
are members of the German Lutheran church and he belongs
to the Personal Liberty League of Ohio. His political in-
dorsement is given to the republican party but he has never
sought nor desired office, preferring to give his undivided at-
tention to his business affairs. He has worked earnestly and
persistently to achieve success and is now at the head of an
enterprise which is bringing him good financial returns.

WILLIAM A. GIPSON.

William A. Gipson is a dealer in coal and building supplies
in Upper Sandusky. His success is due entirely to his own
efforts, indefatigable labor and reliable methods having
brought to him a gratifying patronage. He was born in Ply-
mouth, Richland county, Ohio, January 26, 1843, a son of
Lorenzo and Emilia A. Gipson. The father was born in Ver-
mont, March 12, 1817, and was a mechanic. On coming to
Ohio he settled in Mansfield in 1850 and on the 20th of Feb-
ruary, 1868, he passed away. His wife, a native of Pennsyl-
vania, was born May 16, 1822, and died February 12, 1877.

William A. Gipson became a resident of Mansfield, Ohio,
in his boyhood days and there pursued his education in the
public schools to the age of sixteen years, when he put aside
his textbooks in order to earn a living. He worked at cooper-
ing in a factory of that city for a year, at the end of which
time the family removed to Upper Sandusky. Here he again
worked at his trade until the outbreak of the Civil war, when
his patriotic spirit was aroused by the continued attempt of
the south to overthrow the Union and he enlisted in 1862 as
a member of Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-third
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for three
years. During an engagement he was wounded in the left side

WILLIAM A. GIPSON

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

13

by a spent ball, which forced him to remain out of active serv-
ice for three weeks. He was twice taken prisoner and spent
one night in Libby Prison. He was then transferred to Belle
Isle, where he remained for sixty-two days. He was again
captured at High Bridge and taken to Appomattox Court
House, where Lee surrendered, and stayed there for three
days, when he was exchanged as a paroled prisoner. He par-
ticipated in sixteen hard-fought battles and many skirmishes
and with a most creditable military record returned to his
home, having been honorably discharged at Camp Chase, Bal-
timore, June 5, 1865.

In his business career Mr. Gipson has been quite success-
ful and now owns and conducts a coal and building supplies
business which he has carried on for many years. At dif-
ferent times he has been interested in various commercial and
industrial enterprises in the city and now devotes his entire
time to the management of his coal and building supplies
depot, where he carries a large stock, being accorded a liberal
patronage. He began with but a limited capital but he pos-
sesses unfaltering courage and determination and as the years
have gone by his enterprise and perseverance have won him
a most gratifying measure of success, finding tangible evi-
dence in the judicious investments in property which he has
made.

On the 12th of May, 1870, in this city, Mr. Gipson was mar-
ried to Miss Addie K. Beistle, a daughter of Christian and
Catherine (Houck) Beistle, the father a shoe merchant of this
place. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gipson are: Blanche,
the wife of Fred W. Zander, a dealer in plumbers ’ supplies in
Buffalo, New York, by whom she has one son, Frederick G.;
Myram M.; William A.; Matilda E.; Lucy A.; Alice; and
Arland F.

Mr. Gipson and his wife are members of the English Evan-
gelical Lutheran church, and he belongs to the Masonic fra-
ternity, in which he has attained the Knight Templar degree.
He is also a member of the Commercial Club and active in its
efforts to promote the business interests of the city. He votes
with the democratic party and has held several local offices.
For ten years he filled the position of councilman and for
twenty-one years has been a member of the school board. The
cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion. He was
also a trustee of the Ohio State School for the Deaf for twenty

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FAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

years, being first appointed by William McKinley and later
by different governors of Ohio. He was chosen for this posi-
tion for four terms of five years each. He is a very popular
man, well liked by all, and his many sterling traits of char-
acter have gained for him enduring regard. In all his duties
of citizenship in its broadest sense he has displayed the same
loyalty which characterized his service when he followed
the old flag on southern battlefields.

CHARLES C. KOUNS.

A record such as that of Charles C. Kouns is not an un-
usual one in this country, where labor finds its just reward
and close application and energy constitute the salient ele-
ments of success; and yet, such a record never fails to elicit
attention and commendation. The world admires the victor
and in a successful business career the struggle is continu-
ously waged for supremacy over adverse conditions, competi-
tion and the obstacles which arise through the subversion of
plans through outside influences. Without special advan-
tages at the outset of his career, Mr. Kouns has made steady
progress with the result that he has attained an enviable posi-
tion in business circles, for he is today secretary and general
manager of the Ohio Manufacturing Company at Upper San-
dusky.

Mr. Kouns was born at New Holland, Ohio, September 26,
1885, his parents being Moses W. M. and Ella (Johnson)
Kouns, both of whom were natives of Pickaway county, Ohio.
The father, who was born in 1857, was for a considerable
period president of the Ohio Manufacturing Company at
Upper Sandusky, but his life’s labors were ended in death
in 1909. The mother still survives and is now living in
Columbus, Ohio, at the age of fifty-three years. Their chil-
dren are Leota, Jane, Charles C., Marie and Herbert. The
eldest daughter is the wife of Dr. W. E. Robinson, a dentist
of Washington Court House, and they have two children,
Charles and William. Jane Kouns became the wife of A. B.
Whitney, the president of the Ohio Manufacturing Company,
and their two children are Richard and Virginia.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

15

Charles C. Kouns attended the public schools of his native
town, spent two years as a student in the schools of Dayton,
Ohio, and two years at Bellevue, and then entered the high
school at Washington Court House, from which he was grad-
uated with the class of 1904. He immediately started in
business with the Ohio Manufacturing Company, in which
connection he has steadily worked his way upward until he
is now one of its stockholders and its secretary and general
manager. It is true that he entered upon a business already
established but he has been active and energetic in enlarging
and developing this and has contributed much to its success.
He votes with the republican party but he does not seek nor
desire office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his
business affairs. He is regarded as one of the enterprising
young men of the city upon whom the future of Upper San-
dusky will largely depend.

ARTHUR M. BRINGMAN.

The commercial interests of Upper Sandusky find a worthy
representative in Arthur M. Bringman, proprietor of a furni-
ture store with which is combined an undertaking establish-
ment. His is a very promising business, his patronage stead-
ily growing, and he now carries a large and attractive line of
furniture representing the best makes of leading factories
throughout the country. He was born November 9, 1859,
in the city which is still his place of residence, and he is the
only child of Charles and Priscilla (Moody) Bringman. The
father was born in Richland county, Ohio, June 29, 1829, and
in early life learned blacksmithing. About 1855 he removed
to Upper Sandusky where he followed his trade for many
years. His wife, who was born in De Kalb county, Indiana,
March 21, 1839, now makes her home with her son Arthur, but
the father passed away April 14, 1906.

Reared under the parental roof, Arthur M. Bringman at
the usual age entered the public schools and, passing through
consecutive grades, continued his education to the age of
nineteen years. Starting out in the business world he was
employed as a shipping clerk in Mansfield, Ohio, for five years
and then returned to his native city and entered the employ
of David Moody, a grocer, with whom he continued for twenty-
three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

his employer’s interest and conducted the store for two years,
but at the end of that time sold out, thinking to find more con-
genial occupation and perhaps larger profits in another branch
of merchandising. Accordingly he opened a furniture and
undertaking establishment on the 1st of October, 1908, and
has been very successful in the conduct of the new venture.
He carries a stock worth on an average of six thousand dol-
lars and his trade is constantly growing in volume and impor-
tance. His business methods are thoroughly reliable and he
is an enterprising, energetic merchant, who seeks success in
the legitimate lines of trade.

On the 21st of May, 1885, Mr. Bringman was married in
Mansfield, Ohio, to Miss Anna Margaret Shanefield, a daugh-
ter of John and Martha J. Shanefield, both of whom are
deceased. The father was a merchant tailor during the years
of his active business life. To Mr. and Mrs. Bringman has
been born a son, Charles W., who married Hortense Neidig,
of Upper Sandusky, and they have one child, Wallace P. The
parents hold membership in the Lutheran Evangelical church,
and are interested and active in its work. Mr. Bringman has
voted with the republican party since age conferred upon
him the right of franchise but he has never been an aspirant
for office. In Masonry he is of high rank, having attained
the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Bite, and he is in
thorough sympathy with the beneficent spirit of the craft
which is based upon a recognition of the brotherhood of man.
He has a wide acquaintance in Wyandot county and his many
friends entertain for him warm regard because of his well
spent life.

THEODORE BOLISH.

Theodore Bolish is proprietor of a cafe in Upper Sandusky
and as a wholesale and retail dealer in liquors has built up
a business which is bringing him a good financial return. His
birth occurred in Upper Sandusky, May 19, 1877. His father,
Christopher Bolish, was born in Prussia, in 1829, and, cross-
ing the Atlantic, became a resident of this city when a young
man. He died in 1888 and is still survived by his widow. She
was born in Luxemburg, September 4, 1843, and now makes
her home with her son, Theodore. She was the mother of nine
children, of whom three are living, the brothers of our subject

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

17

being Joseph and Benjamin. The former, now filling the posi-
tion of county recorder, wedded Mary Weber and has two
children. Benjamin married an Illinois lady and has also two
children.

Theodore Bolish was a pupil in the Catholic schools of this
city until twelve years of age, when he started out to earn his
own living, being employed as a house boy and hostler for
two years. He then began learning the baker’s trade and
after three years spent in that way worked with a fencing gang
on the railroad for six years. Subsequently he spent one year
as a bartender and in 1902 he opened a cafe of his own, con-
ducting the business until the county voted against license
in 1908. He afterward conducted the restaurant part of the
business alone until 1912, when the county revoked its former
vote and again Mr. Bolish began dealing in wines and liquors,
which he sells largely to the wholesale trade. He has a first
class cafe which is headquarters for his many friends.

On the 4th of November, 1903, Mr. Bolish was married in
Upper Sandusky to Miss Susie Thiel, a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. George Thiel, of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Bolish have four
children : Anna L., Dorothy M., Edward A. and John A. The
family home is a pleasant residence on North Eighth street
and in addition Mr. Bolish owns property on North Seventh
street, which he rents. He has always voted the democratic
ticket and for two years he held the office of chief of the fire
department. His fraternal relations are with the Eagles, the
Mutual Aid and the Catholic Knights of America, and his
religious faith is that of the Catholic church.

CHARLES L. FRAZIER.

Charles L. Frazier is proprietor of a laundry in Upper
Sandusky, which business he has conducted with growing
success since 1906. He was born here May 18, 1876, a son
of William J. and Elizabeth (Leggett) Frazier. The father,
whose birth occurred in Pennsylvania, in 1822, was a cabinet-
maker by trade, learning the business in early manhood.
After spending two years in Indiana he came to Upper San-
dusky when twenty-one years of age and since that time
has figured in the business circles of the city, where he is still
active although he has now reached the eighty-first mile-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

stone on life’s journey. He has long been accounted one of
the prominent and influential residents here and has a host
of warm friends and admirers. His wife, who was born in
1826, is also living and is very active for one of her years.
This worthy old couple are much beloved, their good quali-
ties of heart and mind having gained them firm hold on the
affectionate regard of those with whom they have been asso-
ciated. In their family were eleven children but only five
are now living. Harry L., a resident of Chicago, where he
is a railway mail clerk, married Hattie Parkerson and they
have two children. Sarah A. became the wife of C. V. Mc-
Bride, who died eighteen years ago and she and her one child
are now living in Detroit. Arthur D., wTho is chief clerk in
the postoffice at Chicago, is married and has one child. Nettie
is the wife of J. H. Steiner, a painter of Upper Sandusky,
and they have four children. The subject of this review is
the youngest member of the family.

Reared in his native city Charles L. Frazier attended the
public schools to the age of eighteen years, when he started
out to earn his own living and for a year thereafter was
employed in a railroad office in Chicago. He then accepted
a clerical position and became foreman for Swift & Company,
in which capacity he continued for three years. On the
expiration of that period he returned to Upper Sandusky
and, in 1906, purchased the steam laundry which he has since
owned and conducted. This enterprise is now liberally
patronized. The plant is well equipped with modern machin-
ery and the process which he follows gives satisfaction to his
many patrons.

On the 2d of April, 1903, in his native city, Mr. Frazier was
married to Miss Myrtle A. Kirk, a daughter of John A. and
Mary J. (Beckett) Kirk, of Harperton, Ohio. The father
is a stock buyer in Upper Sandusky. Mr. and Mrs. Frazier
have but one child, John Kirk. The parents are members of
the Methodist church and Mr. Frazier also belongs to the
Masonic fraternity. His political support is given to the
republican party but he has never been ambitious for office,
preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business
affairs in which he is meeting with substantial success. He
served as a member of Company B, Second Ohio Volunteer
Tnfantry, with the rank of first sergeant, enlisting for the
Spanish American war. The command was called to Nash-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

19

ville, Tennessee, and to Macon, Georgia, but after a year spent
in camp life was honorably discharged February 10, 1899,
without reaching the scene of conflict. A spirit of patriotism
characterizes Mr. Frazier in all of his relations of citizenship
and he seeks the welfare and best interests of his community
in every possible way.

ROSCOE C. CUNEO.

One of the wide-awake, alert and progressive young busi-
ness men of Upper Sandusky is Roscoe Conkling Cuneo, pro-
prietor of the Star Moving Picture Theater. He is a native
son of Upper Sandusky but of Italian parentage, his father,
Pietro Cuneo, having been born in Pian de Cunei, a small vil-
lage in Italy. He had a somewhat remarkable career, rising
from poverty to affluence through his own labors and efforts
and winning by reason of his upright and honorable life the
respect and esteem of all who knew him. He came to America
in his boyhood, arriving May 10, 1849, and settling in Upper
Sandusky, where he grew to manhood and became well known
and widely beloved. Wholly self-made and self-educated,
he soon won a position of prominence and importance in busi-
ness circles of the city through the force of his ability and the
compelling power of his personality. He served from May,
1869, to July, 1877, as postmaster of Upper Sandusky and in
business he was identified with journalism, owning the Union
Republican, which under his management became an excel-
lent paper with a large circulation and a profitable advertis-
ing patronage. He had many friends, among the most illus-
trious of whom was General Ulysses S. Grant, who held him
in high esteem. Mr. Cuneo married Miss Myra V. Miller, who
was born in Sandyville, Ohio, in 1842. She died in 1883, leav-
ing five children: Edward, a printer, who married Leaf Wid-
man, by whom he has one son, Harold ; Sherman, who is the
proprietor of the Union Republican of Upper Sandusky; Ros-
coe C., of this review; Eva, who married Noah Harmon, an ice
manufacturer at Prescott, Arkansas, and who is the mother
of three children ; and Laura, who is the wife of A. F. Minor,
a railroad conductor, by whom she has one child.

20

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

The public schools of Upper Sandusky afforded Roscoe C.
Cuneo his educational advantages and when he had completed
the usual course, at the age of nineteen he began working on
the Union Republican, acting in various capacities until 1910,
when he sold out his interests in the paper and opened the
Star Theater, which he has made one of the finest moving pic-
ture houses in the city. It is finely equipped, has a seating
capacity of three hundred, and the entertainment provided is
always high class and interesting. Mr. Cuneo is accorded a
large patronage on that account and as he is progressive in
his methods and upright in his business dealings, he is num-
bered among the representative young business men of his
native city.

Mr. Cuneo gives his political allegiance to the republican
party, while his religious views are in accord with the doc-
trines of the Presbyterian church. His fraternal relations
are with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Im-
proved Order of Red Men and the Knights of the Maccabees.
He belongs also to the Chamber of Commerce and is interested
in the business development of Upper Sandusky, the advance-
ment of which his own effective labors are doing much to pro-
mote.

GEORGE E. PIERMAK.

A history of industrial and commercial activity at Upper
Sandusky would be incomplete were there failure to make
prominent and extended reference to George E. Pierman, who
as proprietor of a lumber mill and yard occupies a leading
position in business circles there. His enterprise is extensive
and important and conducted along modern business lines and,
closely conforming to a high standard of commercial ethics,
he is meeting with excellent success.

Mr. Pierman was born in the town of Ottawa, Putnam
county, Ohio, April 14, 1866. His father, Samuel Pierman, a
native of Virginia, was born in 1830 and followed the occupa-
tion of farming as a life work. He was brought to Ohio when
a small boy by his parents, the family traveling in a wagon
across the country from their old home in Virginia. After
reaching adult age Samuel Pierman wedded Margaret Clark,

GEORGE F. PIERMAN

1

'

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

23

who was born in Pntnam county, Ohio, in 1837, and died in
1883. The children of that marriage were nine in number:
Zella V., the eldest, became the wife of Stewart Grafton, a
lumber dealer, and died in 1903, leaving two children. Ed-
ward J., a farmer of Putnam county, married Ella Pope and
has seven children. George E. is the next in the family.
Lizzie J. is the wife of J ames W. McDowrell, a dealer in stone,
and they have four children. Charles O., who follows farm-
ing, married Gertrude McDowell and has five children.
Homer W., also a farmer, wedded Nora Agner and they have
four children. Carey S., who carries on general agricultural
pursuits, married Mattie Crawfis and their children are three
in number. Grace is the widow of Bert Butler, who was a
farmer and died in 1909. Fannie is the wife of Samuel Welty,
a farmer and carpenter, and they have two children.

George F. Pierman pursued his education in the public
schools of his native county until he reached the age of
eighteen years, becoming subsequently a student in the com-
mercial college at Ada, Ohio, from which he was graduated
with the class of 1889. His training in that institution proved
a good asset when he entered the commercial field. For two
years after his graduation, however, he worked upon his
father’s farm and then entered into his initial connection with
the lumber trade as bookkeeper for a lumber firm, with which
he remained for eleven years or from 1892 until 1903. At the
expiration of that period, when his labors had brought him
sufficient capital to embark in business on his own account,
he formed a partnership with William H. Colter and estab-
lished a lumber business in Upper Sandusky, owning both a
mill and yard. The undertaking has been very profitable from
the beginning and their patronage has steadily grown until
their shipments now cover a large part of the country. They
specialize in the handling of high-grade lumber used in the
building of railway cars. They also export to a considerable
extent and their business is constantly growing, having long
since reached a place among the important industries of the
city. They own their own property, including a mill well
equipped with modern machinery and a yard, and in addition
they have three thousand, two hundred and thirty-eight acres
of timber land in Tennessee. Mr. Pierman is also half owner
of a clothing business in Upper Sandusky, conducted under
the style of Fritchie & Company.

Vol. II— 2

24

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

On the 12th of June, 1901, in Nevada, Wyandot county,
Ohio, Mr. Pierman was married to Miss Maude Hughey, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hughey. The mother died in
1898 and the father, who was a bridge builder and mason
contractor of Wyandot county, died in 1899. Mr. Pierman
gives his political support to the democratic party and at one
time served for two terms as clerk of the village of Jenera,
in Hancock county, but has never been a politician in the
sense of office seeking, regarding it much more important to
devote his energies to his business affairs. He holds mem-
bership with the Masons and with the Methodist Episcopal
church and his influence has always been found on the side
of right and progress, truth, reform and improvement. His
has been an active, useful and well spent life in which energy
and determination have found their just reward. He has
never neglected an opportunity and seems to have recognized
at any one point in his business career the possibilities for
successful accomplishment at that point. He has coordinated
and unified forces and in their control has displayed sound
judgment and executive ability.

GEORGE W. POOL.

George W. Pool occupies a leading position in business
circles of Upper Sandusky, where since 1911 he has success-
fully conducted a restaurant and bakery. He is a native son
of this city, born March 14, 1878, his parents being George W.
and Sarah (Bell) Pool. His father’s birth occurred in Rich-
land county, Ohio, in 1840 and his entire business career was
spent as a salesman. He died in 1878 and was survived by
his wife until 1905, her death occurring when she was sixty-
seven years of age. She was a native of Delaware county,
Ohio, born in 1838. In their family were two children: Bessie,
who makes her home with her brother; and George W., of this
review.

The last named acquired his education in the public schools
of his native section and for one year attended high school.
When he laid aside his books he enlisted for service in the
Spanish American war in Company B, Second Ohio Volun-
teer Infantry, and upon his return was appointed deputy post-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

25

master of Upper Sandusky and served for five years, discharg-
ing his duties in an efficient and capable manner. For two
years following he worked as a traveling salesman and only
abandoned this occupation, in which he was very successful, in
order to buy the news depot, after selling which he was elected
marshal of the town. He had at that time gained great popu-
larity in this section of the state, as is evidenced by the fact
that he is the only republican ever elected to the office of
marshal in Upper Sandusky. When he had served his term
of two years he again went upon the road, but in 1911 returned
to his native city and here purchased the Bon-ton restaurant
and bakery, which he has since conducted. His restaurant
is one of the most attractive places of its kind in the town and
receives a liberal patronage, while his bakery goods are of
the highest quality. In the conduct of both branches of his
enterprise Mr. Pool is meeting with a gratifying degree of
success, because of his honorable business methods, his earnest
desire to please his patrons and his close application to busi-
ness.

On the 21st of November, 1911, Mr. Pool married Miss
Mamie R. Bowen, a daughter of Jerome and Anna (Welsh)
Bowen. Mr. Pool attends the Methodist church and frater-
nally is affiliated with the Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks, the Masons and the Improved Order of Red Men. He is
a veteran of the Spanish- American war, having enlisted at the
outbreak of hostilities in Company B, Second Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, and served as corporal. He keeps in touch with his
comrades of that time through his membership in Camp No.
73, United Spanish War Veterans, of which he is commander,
and in all of his business and social relations is recognized as
a man of genuine personal worth, who has won the respect and
esteem of all with whom he has come in contact.

JONAS J. HULSE.

Jonas J. Hulse, well known in financial circles of Upper
Sandusky as the efficient cashier of the Commercial National
Bank, was born on a farm near Lovell, November 7, 1 864. He
is a son of Jonas and Lucy (Davis) Hulse, both natives of
Wyandot county, the former of whom was for many years

26

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

prominent in agricultural circles of that section. In his early
days the father was forced by limited circumstances to work
among the farmers of his community, but he afterward left
Wyandot county and went to California, where he was success-
ful in gold mining. After two trips to the Pacific coast he
returned to Ohio and made his home upon his farm in Wyan-
dot county, where he became prosperous and successful as
a general agriculturist. He died upon his farm in this sec-
tion. His wife was born in 1845 and died in Upper Sandusky
in 1893. She was early left a widow and after the death of
her husband made her home with her sister, Mrs. Anna L.
Hurd.

In the acquirement of an education Jonas J. Hulse
attended public school in Wyandot county and later was a
student in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, from
which he was graduated in 1891 with the degree of A. B.
Since that time he has been identified with various enterprises
in this part of Ohio and in Tennessee, where he was for a
time interested in the timber and lumber business at Harri-
man, and he has besides given a great deal of his attention to
farming, working diligently and gaining the broad experience
which has proven the foundation of his later success. He has
displayed sound judgment in all he has undertaken and his
energy has been one of the potent factors in his progress.
Upon the organization of the Commercial National Bank of
Upper Sandusky in 1900 Mr. Hulse was elected cashier and
has served ably in that capacity ever since, being in addition
a member of the board of directors. He also serves on the
public library committee, and his labors and enterprise have
been important factors in the upbuilding and development of
the town along many lines.

On June 15, 1893, Mr. Hulse was united in marriage, at
Harriman, Tennessee, to Miss Frances Lilly Durflinger, a
daughter of Philip and Sarah Durflinger, of Madison county,
Ohio, and a graduate of Dixon College, Dixon, Illinois. Mr.
and Mrs. Hulse have three children: Marjory, who is a stu-
dent in the Ohio Wesleyan University; Alfred Philip, who is
attending high school; and Frances, who is four years of age.

Mr. Hulse gives his allegiance to the republican party and
is active in all progressive public movements, although he
never seeks public office. He is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church. He is a prominent business man of Upper

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

27

Sandusky, identified with the general growth and develop-
ment, and is well known throughout Wyandot county as one
of its most able and progressive native sons.

FRANK MOSSBRUGGER.

After a useful career as a farmer, during which he was
closely and intimately identified with agricultural interests
of Wyandot county, Frank Mossbrugger is living retired in
.Upper Sandusky, enjoying the comforts earned during his
many years of honest and zealous labor. He is numbered
among the many enterprising, able and progressive men whom
Germany has given to America and was born in Baden, on the
4th of October, 1864. His parents were Mathias and J ohanna
(Guess) Mossbrugger, both natives of the fatherland, where
the father still resides. The mother, who was born in Baden
in 1845, died in 1901. To their union were born six children,
Rudolph, Sophia, Frank, Andrew, Helen and Josephine.

Frank Mossbrugger remained in his native country until
he was fifteen years of age and acquired a limited education
in the public schools. In 1880 he made his first settlement in
Upper Sandusky and here obtained a position in a brewery,
which he held until 1891, when he resigned in order to estab-
lish himself in the saloon business. He operated an enter-
prise of this kind until he had secured sufficient capital to
purchase land of his own, and in 1901 he bought one hundred
and twenty-one acres of what is now known as the Historic
Nine Oaks, giving all of his attention from that time until
his retirement to its further improvement and development.
By his practical methods, his unremitting work and his well
directed energy he made this one of the finest properties in
this part of the state, equipped with a fine residence, ample
barns and all the necessary conveniences for carrying on agri-
cultural pursuits and stock-raising. In the latter line he
specialized in breeding sheep and hogs. He raised annually
large crops of wheat, oats and hay, which he sold in the local
markets. In 1912 he rented out the farm, which is now being
operated on shares, and moved into Upper Sandusky, where
he has extensive property interests, owning a fine residence
and an interest in an important business block.

28

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Mossbrugger married, on the 18th of October, 1886, at
Upper Sandusky, Miss Elizabeth Keller, a daughter of Joseph
and May (Bruch) Keller, of that city, and they are the par-
ents of three children, George E., Clara R. and Frank E. In
his political beliefs Mr. Mossbrugger is a loyal democrat and
his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the
Roman Catholic church. Fraternally he is connected with
the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He stands high in
financial and social circles of this community and his progress-
ive spirit and the sterling qualities of his character have won
him the confidence and respect of all who know him.

HARRY C. WATKINS.

Harry C. Watkins, manager of a large livery stable in
Upper Sandusky, is one of the most trustworthy and reliable
employes of Conklin Brothers and one of the able, resource-
ful and progressive business men of the town. He was born
in Marion, Ohio, April 10, 1876, and is a son of George A. and
Ellen (Cretty) Watkins, the former a native of Wales and the
latter of Eden township, this county. The father left his
native country when he was still a child and when he came
to America settled in Alabama, afterward locating in Ohio.
He made his home in Middletown at the age of twenty and
there resided until his death, which occurred in 1912, when he
was seventy-six years of age. The mother of our subject was
born in 1838 and still survives. In this family were three
children: Maggie B., Charles A., and Harry C., of this review.

The last named acquired his education in the public schools
of Marion but laid aside his books at the age of sixteen, when
he secured a position as driver for a livery establishment,
working in this capacity from 1892 to 1912. He proved him-
self efficient, capable and reliable and in the latter year was
made manager of the stable at Upper Sandusky conducted by
Conklin Brothers, gaining in the discharge of his duties the
confidence of his employers and the respect and esteem of his
associates.

At Upper Sandusky, Mr. Watkins married Miss Minnie
May Aulmiller, a daughter of Robert and Lottie (Moyer)
Aulmiller, of Bucyrus, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Watkins have

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

29

one daughter, Eleanor A. Mr. Watkins attends the Metho-
dist church at Upper Sandusky but does not hold membership
in any religious body. He gives his allegiance to the repub-
lican party and is progressive and public-spirited in his citi-
zenship, although he never seeks public office. He is an
upright, straightforward and honorable man and has made
an excellent record in business circles, both for reliability and
for the practical methods which he follows and which have
led him to success.

HARVEY 0. HUFFMAN.

Harvey 0. Huffman, who makes his home in Upper San-
dusky, but w ho is still active in the operation of one hundred
and thirty acres of land in Crane township, was born in that
township, April 24, 1872, and is a son of Simon and Ellen
(Kellar) Huffman. The father was born in Richland county
in 1843 and the mother in Seneca county in 1850. They are
now residents of Crane township, where Simon Huffman en-
gages in general agricultural pursuits. In their family were
eight children, two of whom, Sadie and Frank B., died in
infancy. Those living are, Edward G., Harvey 0., Estella G.,
Elza S., Alma M. and Iva M.

Harvey 0. Huffman acquired his education in the district
schools of his native section and left school at the age of
eighteen. Until he was twenty-nine years of age he worked
upon his father’s farm and then began his independent agri-
cultural career, operating his father-in-law’s property of one
hundred and thirty acres in Crane township'. At the end of
three years he purchased this property and remained upon it
until 1909, when he moved his residence to Upper Sandusky.
However, he still gives practically all of his attention to the
management of the farm and has achieved a success in his
chosen line of work which places him in the front ranks of
progressive and successful agriculturists. He is engaged
in general farming and also in stock-raising, keeping one hun-
dred and thirty hogs, sixty sheep, twenty-five head of cattle
and eight horses, and selling his stock in the local markets.

Mr. Huffman married on October 29, 1899, at Upper San-
dusky, Miss Blanche Myers, a daughter of Michael and Susan

30

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

(McLain) Myers, of Pickaway county. Mr. and Mrs. Huff-
man are the parents of four children, Mary L., George B.,
Russell M. and Martha Y. Mr. Huffman is identified with
the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Modern
Woodmen of America. He gives his allegiance to the repub-
lican party and is active in support of all progressive party
measures, never seeking public office, and yet never avoiding
the obligations of his citizenship. He was a member of the
school board for one term and his interest in the cause of edu-
cation was at that time ably demonstrated by his effective
work. His success is well deserved, for through his own
energy, determination and well applied efforts he has acquired
an excellent farming property and is classed among the sub-
stantial and representative citizens of his native township.

FREDERICK SAMMET.

Prominent among the aggressive and enterprising business
men of Wyandot county is Frederick Sammet, a florist, whose
success is the outcome of close application, unfaltering energy
and a thorough understanding of the business to which he has
given his attention. He was born in Germany in 1869, a son
of J. J. and Henricka (Gruber) Sammet. The latter died in
Germany about 1876 and four years later, or in 1880, J. J.
Sammet crossed the Atlantic to the new world accompanied
by his son Fred. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but
made his way at once to Wyandot county and settled upon a
farm here. Throughout the intervening period, covering al-
most a third of a century, he has remained in this district and
now makes his home with our subject.

The latter was a youth of eleven years when he accom-
panied his father on the trip from the fatherland to the United
States. He afterward entered the employ of S. 0. Streby,
with whom he remained for about three years, and subse-
quently he went to Marion, Ohio, where he was employed by
F. E. Blake, who was engaged in the florist’s business and
where he learned the trade. Six years were spent in that
place, after which he returned to Upper Sandusky and pur-
chased the florist’s business which he now owns and conducts.
His business is located just outside the corporation limits, on

FREDERIC K SAMMET

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

33

the corner of Pleasant View and High Streets, and the green-
houses are built adjoining his home. Since coming into pos-
session of this property he has rebuilt his residence, has put
up a new barn, has laid cement sidewalks and made other im-
provements until his place is now a most beautiful one. He
has also greatly increased the business and the volume of trade
returns to him a substantial income. He deals in plants and
cut flowers of all kinds, understands the best methods of grow-
ing these and by reason of honorable dealing and reasonable
prices his products are finding a ready sale.

Mr. Sammet was united in marriage to Miss Katie Lau-
denschlager, a daughter of John and Anna (Sprau) Lau-
denschlager. Mrs. Sammet passed away in 1909, leaving a
son, Harold, who was born May 25, 1894. On November 6,
1912, Mr. Sammet was again married, this union being with
Miss Mina M. Veithes, of Upper Sandusky, a daughter of
C. F. and Mary (Althouse) Veithes, the former a retired
farmer, who still owns a fine farm of one hundred and forty
acres east of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Sammet are devoted
members of the Lutheran church, to which they give their
moral and material support. Mr. Sammet is well known in
Wyandot county, where he has spent much of his life and
where he has so directed his energies as to win not only a
good trade but also the merited regard and confidence of those
who have dealings with him. He is ever diligent and pro-
gressive and is today the owner of one of the leading florist
establishments in this part of the state.

EDWARD KATZENMEYER.

Edward Katzenmeyer, who conducts one of the leading
stores in Upper Sandusky, carrying a fine line of farm imple-
ments and roofing materials, was born in Mifflin township,
September 29, 1880. He is a son of Peter and Mary (Zahn)
Katzenmeyer, the former of whom was born in Mifflin town-
ship in 1855 and the latter in Upper Sandusky on the 17th
of March, 1857. The father engaged in farming during his
active career and died on the 10th of April, 1910. His wife
survives him and makes her home in Upper Sandusky. To
their union were born three children, Edward, Elizabeth and

34

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Sylvia. Mrs. Katzenmeyer still owns the fine home farm com-
prising fifty-eight acres of the best improved land in Ohio,
equipped with most up-to-date buildings and machinery. She
is a lady of many high qualities of character, well beloved by
all who have the honor of her acquaintance and esteemed by
a large circle of friends. Her hospitality is proverbial, and
friend or stranger find a ready welcome at her fireside. Char-
itable and of a kind and helpful disposition she allies herself
with all movements to better humanity and there is no one
who merits more the high respect which is readily conceded
her.

In the acquirement of an education Edward Katzenmeyer
attended district school in Mifflin township. After laying
aside his books he worked upon his father’s farm until 1900,
when he moved into Upper Sandusky and opened the business
with which he is connected at the present time. He has a
stoclf of farm implements and roofing materials valued at
thirty-five hundred dollars and has already secured a gratify-
ing and representative patronage by reason of his progressive
business methods and in recognition of his well known integ-
rity.

Mr. Katzenmeyer gives his allegiance to the democratic
party, and fraternally is identified with the Improved Order
of Red Men. He is a devout member of the German Lutheran
church. He is, moreover, one of the most able, alert and pro-
gressive of the younger business men of Upper Sandusky and
an active force in matters pertaining to the general interests
of the community, and he has a host of friends throughout his
native county.

WILLIAM E. MARTIN.

On the roster of county officials of Wyandot county
appears the name of William E. Martin, now serving as sur-
veyor. His entire life has been spent in Upper Sandusky and
his history is well known to his fellow townsmen, who have
always found him a reliable and enterprising citizen and a pro-
gressive business man. His birth occurred on the 26th of
September, 1882, his parents being John B. and Lydia
(Brobst) Martin, the former of whom was born in Ireland in

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

35

1830 and the latter in Pennsylvania in 1839. The father was
for many years connected with railroading and passed away
in September, 1904, having survived his wife by three years.
To their union were born seven children, Thomas J., Joseph,
Frank, George, Charles, Mary and William E.

William E. Martin acquired his education in the public
schools of his native city, attending until he was seventeen
years of age, when he began to study civil engineering at night
and soon became proficient in this work. He was employed
for nine years after leaving school as a telegraph operator,
after which period he worked for two years in the office of the
county surveyor of Wyandot county. In 1912 he was himself
called upon to fill this position and has since served, discharg-
ing his duties with credit to himself and thus commanding the
esteem and confidence of all with whom he is brought in
contact. *77

On the 14th of April, 1904, Mr. Martin was united in mar-
riage at Upper Sandusky to Miss Nellie Trautwine, a daugh-
ter of John and Henrietta (Young) Trautwine, the former a
stone mason and contractor by trade. Mr. and Mrs. Martin
have two children, Nellie Pauline and Maurice W. Fra-
ternally Mr. Martin gives his allegiance to the democratic
party and is active and progressive in all matters of citizen-
ship, although his public spirit never takes the form of office
seeking. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and fra-
ternally is connected with the Masonic order, the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks and the Improved Order of Bed Men.
He belongs to the Chamber of Commerce of LTpper Sandusky
and is interested in all that pertains to the welfare and pros-
perity of his native city, giving his cooperation to many meas-
ures calculated to promote the material, political and moral
interests of the community.

L. WALTER NAUS, M. D.

Dr. L. Walter Naus, proprietor of the Naus Sanitarium in
Upper Sandusky and one of the most successful specialists in
cancer, tumor and blood diseases in Wyandot county, was born
in Hardin county, Ohio, March 4, 1874. He is a son of David
A. and Fannie (Zimmerman) Naus. The father, also a native

36

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

of Hardin county, was born in 1847. He has followed farm-
ing since the beginning of his active career and is now one of
the most successful general agriculturists in Hancock county.
In this family were two children: L. Walter, of this review;
and Anna Ellen.

Dr. Naus acquired his early education in the Hardin county
district schools, which he attended until he was seventeen
years of age, supplementing this by one term in Findlay Col-
lege and two years at the Ohio Northern University at Ada.
Having determined to study medicine, he entered the Eclectic
Medical College at Cincinnati and was graduated from that
institution in 1899 with the degree of M. D. He located for
the general practice of his profession in Upper Sandusky and
has since attained a place of prominence in professional circles
of this community. After three years he formed a partner-
ship with Dr. C. L. Shepard and together they operated a hos-
pital and sanitarium for four years, after which Dr. Naus
associated himself with Dr. Smalley, operating the Naus &
Smalley Sanitarium. This they conducted until 1911, when
Dr. Naus purchased his partner’s interest and has since had
entire charge of the institution, now known as the Naus San-
itarium. He specializes in the treatment of cancer, tumor
and all blood and chronic diseases and has met with remark-
able success in his chosen work. He is a physician of ability
and, moreover, possesses the laudable ambition to achieve suc-
cess by promoting his efficiency by further study and research,
keeping in touch with the most advanced thought of his pro-
fession through his membership in the American and Ohio
State Medical Associations and the Northwestern Medical
Society.

On June 2, 1901, at Upper Sandusky, Dr. Naus married
Miss Emma L. Stephan, a daughter of Conrad and Catherine
(Finck) Stephan, the former a blacksmith and tool dresser.
Dr. and Mrs. Naus became the parents of three children:
David H., who died at the age of twenty months; Edwin S.;
and Charles A. Dr. Naus is a member of the Upper Sandusky
Chamber of Commerce and fraternally is connected with the
Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America and
the National Union. He is a regular attendant at the Evan-
gelical church but does not hold membership in any religious
organization. His political allegiance is given in a general
way to the republican party but he casts an independent ballot

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

37

on all questions involving the general good of the community.
A constantly increasing practice makes heavy demands upon
his time and attention and his devotion to the interests of his
patients is proverbial. He manifests a sense of conscientious
obligation in all of his professional work and the excellent
results which have attended his labors are proof of his ability.

EDWARD R. LOWRY.

Edward R. Lowry, engaged in the grocery business in
Upper Sandusky as a partner in the firm of Einkle & Lowry,
was born in Crane township, February 24, 1884, and is a son
of W. J. and Mary (Walton) Lowry, both natives of Wyandot
county. The father was born in this section in 1852 and after
he grew to manhood engaged in farming, retiring from active
life in 1907. His wife was also born in 1852, and they make
their home in Upper Sandusky. They became the par-
ents of three children: Ruth, who married Foster Finkle, of
the firm of Einkle & Lowry, by whom she has four children,
Herbert, Catherine, Mildred and Dorothy; Edward R., of this
review; and Abbie, who is the wife of Harry Kinley, a mer-
chant of Upper Sandusky. W. J. Lowry was during his
active life prominent and successful in agricultural circles
and a force in local politics, having been a commissioner of
Wyandot county for two terms. He is highly regarded in
Upper Sandusky, where he is well and favorably known and
enjoys the esteem and regard of a wide circle of friends.

Edward R. Lowry acquired his education in the Indian
Hill district school and later attended the Tri-State Business
College at Toledo, graduating from this institution when he
was twenty-two years of age. For six months thereafter he
worked upon a farm but at the end of that time turned his
attention to commercial pursuits, opening a hardware store
in Upper Sandusky. At the end of one year he obtained a
position as a grocer’s clerk and after holding it for six months
joined Mr. Finkle and opened a grocery store under the firm
name of Finkle & Lowry. They carry a stock valued at three
thousand dollars and have built up a very liberal patronage
which is accorded them in recognition of their honorable busi-

38

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ness principles, their earnest desire to please their patrons
and their reasonable prices.

Mr. Lowry attends the Evangelical church, and fraternally
is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs also to
the Chamber of Commerce and has been the champion of many
progressive measures whereby the interests of the town have
been promoted. Starting out in life without any special fam-
ily or pecuniary advantages to aid him, he has worked his way
steadily upward, standing, although still a young man, among
the leading grocers and progressive business men of Upper
Sandusky.

JOSEPH FLECK.

Joseph Fleck, the only merchant tailor in Upper San-
dusky, is a native son of the city, born July 24, 1861, his
parents being Henry and Dorothea (Bastel) Fleck, the for-
mer a native of Baden, Germany. The father ’s birth occurred
on the 18th of October, 1833, and after he grew to maturity
he came to America, following the occupation of a clothing
merchant and tailor during the entire period of his residence
in Upper Sandusky. He died in this city in 1896, the mother
of our subject long preceding him in death, passing away on
December 17, 1861. The father subsequently married- again
and was survived by his second wife until 1910.

Joseph Fleck acquired his education in the Catholic
schools of Upper Sandusky, attending until he was four-
teen years of age, after which he entered his father’s cloth-
ing store, spending his evenings for several years studying
at home. He remained with his father until 1882, learning
merchant tailoring and mastering the clothing business in
principle and detail, and when he finally went to Fort Wayne,
Indiana, he was an expert workman. When he returned to
Ohio he spent several years in business with his father and in
the employ of others, working at tailoring, until 1901, when
he embarked in business for himself, opening a shop in Upper
Sandusky, which he has since conducted. He has secured a
liberal patronage, for his workmanship is excellent, his prices

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

39

reasonable and his methods of dealing always straight-
forward and honorable.

Mr. Fleck married, on the 19th of August, 1884, at Upper
Sandusky, Miss Magdalene Keller, a daughter of Jacob and
Susan (Zahn) Keller, the former a saloon and cafe proprietor
in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Fleck have one daughter, Mae A.
Mr. Fleck is a member of the Roman Catholic church and fra-
ternally is connected wuth the Improved Order of Red Men.
He gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and
served as councilman of the second ward from 1895 to 1896.
He was appointed clerk of Crane township May 1, 1909, and
elected to the same position at the last two elections, and he
is still serving, being known throughout the township as one
who has labored earnestly for the betterment of public inter-
ests and has never withheld his cooperation from progressive
public movements. In all of his business dealings he has
been thoroughly reliable and straightforward and, moreover,
his influence is at all times in favor of those projects and
measures which promote general progress, improvement and
growth.

JACOB GONGUER.

Jacob Gonguer, who is a retired agriculturist living in
Upper Sandusky, was born in Mifflin township, Ashland
county, May 12, 1851, a son of Phillip and Salome (Long)
Gonguer, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was born in
1809 and after completing his education followed the distilling
business for a number of years, later engaging in farming.
He died in 1876 and wras survived by his wife until 1890.
They were the parents of twelve children, Sarah, Susan, Eliza-
beth, John, Lydia, Jacob, May, Lucinda, Rebecca, Hannah,
George and Joseph. All of these children are living except
Lydia, who died in infancy.

Jacob Gonguer was reared to farm life and acquired his
education in the old Stony Point schoolhouse which he inter-
mittently attended until he was twenty-one years of age. On
putting aside his text-books he took up agricultural pursuits
on a farm in Ashland county, where he remained until 1878.
He afterward rented land for about eight years but in 1885
bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres on section 37,

40

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Antrim township, this county, which he still owns and in the
cultivation of which he was successfully and profitably en-
gaged until his retirement from active business life. Mr.
Gonguer raised hay, corn, oats and wheat, gathering abundant
harvests, and in addition to general farming carried on stock-
raising on an extensive scale, both branches of his business
returning him a gratifying annual income. Several years
ago he moved into Upper Sandusky and has since been living
in honorable and well earned retirement.

Mr. Gonguer was twice married. His first wife was Miss
Cinderella Piper of Wayne county, Ohio, a daughter of John
Piper, who was a cooper by trade. Both Mr. and Mrs. Piper
have passed away.

On December 18, 1898, at Harpster, Ohio, Mr. Gonguer mar-
ried Mrs. Harry Young, a daughter of Patrick and Christina
(Mahley) Tivenan, the former a prominent farmer in Antrim
township. Mrs. Gonguer has a son, Frank Young, by her
former marriage. Mr. Gonguer gives his allegiance to the
democratic party and makes his public spirit effective in an
important way by his service as a member of the school board,
with which he has been connected for six years. His life in
former years was one of continuous activity, in which was
accorded due recognition to labor, and today he is numbered
among the substantial citizens of Upper Sandusky, enjoying
in well earned rest the fruits of his former toil.

CHARLES F. SHEALY.

Prominent among the enterprising, progressive and pros-
perous business men of Upper Sandusky is Charles F. Shealv,
the president of the Buckeye Foundry & Manufacturing Com-
pany. Gradually he has worked his way upward, seeking
success along legitimate business lines, his record being
another proof of the fact that success is not a matter of genius
or of circumstance, as held by some, but is the outcome rather
of clear judgment, experience and close application. Mr.
Shealy was born in Bucyrus, Ohio, February 19, 1864, and is
the eldest of four children, the others being John E., C. Otto
and Mary A. The father, J ohn Shealy, was born in Crawford
county, Ohio, September 24, 1833, and became a lumber dealer,

CHARLES F. SHEALY

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

43

continuing in that business for many years. He married
Lena Heiby, who was born in 1840 and is now living at the
age of seventy-two years, but Mr. Shealy passed away in
1897. The son, John E., married Jennie Vetters, of Bucyrus,
and C. Otto wedded Catherine Kitchler, by whom he has one
child, George A. C. Otto is now proprietor of a grocery and
bakery establishment in Indiana. The daughter, Mary A.,
lives with her eldest brother.

The removal of the family to Upper Sandusky gave Charles
F. Shealy the opportunity of attending the public schools of
this city — an opportunity of which he availed himself until
he reached the age of eighteen years. He worked for his
father in the lumber business as clerk and manager until the
father ’s death in 1897, when he succeeded him in the owner-
ship of the business and in 1898 admitted E. F. Stephan as a
partner. This relationship was continued until 1911 or for
a period of thirteen years, at the end of which time Mr. Shealy
sold out to Mr. Stephan. He then purchased a machine shop
and in 1912 organized a stock company for the conduct of the
business with a capital of fifty thousand dollars by taking in
the Zanesville Manufacturing & Supply Company. The busi-
ness is now conducted under the name of the Buckeye Foun-
dry & Manufacturing Company, with Mr. Shealy as the presi-
dent and William H. Lauer as secretary, treasurer and general
manager. They manufacture malleable pipe fittings and do
general repairing along mechanical lines. Mr. Shealy has
been very successful both in the lumber business and in his
present connection. He is now accorded a liberal patronage
and his trade is growing month by month. What he under-
takes he carries forward to successful completion, for his are
well formulated plans and his industry and determination will
brook no obstacles that can be overcome by honest effort. He
also figures in financial circles of the city as a stockholder in
the Commercial Bank and the Citizens Savings Bank.

In Upper Sandusky, on the 24th of October, 1889, Mr.
Shealy was married to Miss Mary A. Walter, a daughter of
Samuel L. and Candace (Stephenson) Walter, the former a
mason contractor. Mr. and Mrs. Shealy have but one child,
Walter Allen. The parents are Presbyterians in religious
faith and Mr. Shealy belongs to the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias fraternity. He is a
democrat in politics and he is a member of the Chamber of

Vol. II— 3

44

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Commerce, in full sympathy with the latter organization in
its efforts to promote the welfare and progress of his city.
His cooperation can be counted upon to further any movement
for the general good and he is numbered among the business
men whose efforts are contributing to public prosperity as
well as to individual success.

GEORGE 0. MASKEY, M. D.

Dr. George 0. Maskey, who since 1882 has successfully
engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Upper
Sandusky, was born in Nevada, Ohio, February 7, 1856. He
is a son of Benjamin and Adeline (Zook) Maskey, the former
of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1830 and the latter in
Wayne county, Ohio, in 1835. The father was brought to this
state when he was still an infant and grew to maturity here,
following the carpenter’s trade during his business career.
He died in 1897, having survived his wife for some time, her
death having occurred in 1884. In their family were three
children, George O., William F. and Jacob A.

Dr. Maskey spent the period of his boyhood and youth
under the parental roof and acquired his early education in
the public schools of Upper Sandusky. At the age of sixteen
he laid aside his books and for two winters thereafter engaged
in teaching in the country schools. When he resigned this
position he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Dela-
ware and after three years’ study in that institution was made
principal of the high school at Upper Sandusky, a position in
which he acted for two years. Having determined, however,
to make the practice of medicine his life work, he entered
the medical department of the Western Reserve University
at Cleveland and was graduated in 1882 with the degree of
M. D. He returned immediately to Upper Sandusky and
formed a partnership with Dr. R. A. Henderson, their asso-
ciation continuing for over five years. Afterward Dr. Maskey
entered into partnership with Dr. G. W. Sampson, an associa-
tion that still maintains. His ability has brought him a large
and lucrative patronage which is steadily increasing, and he
is numbered among the leaders of the profession in this part
of the state. He has some valuable property interests, own-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

45

in g a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Crane town-
ship and a comfortable residence and a business block in
Upper Sandusky.

On the 28th of October, 1892, Dr. Maskey was united in
marriage at Mount Blanchard, Ohio, to Miss Stella Fahl, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J osiah Fahl, the former a hardware
merchant of that place. Dr. and Mrs. Maskey have become
the parents of a son, Robert F. Dr. Maskey is a devout adher-
ent of the Methodist church, and fraternally is connected with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a democrat in
his political beliefs and active in local politics, having served
as a member of the school board for many years. He did able,
conscientious and efficient work during his two terms of serv-
ice as corporation treasurer and was also health officer for
some time and coroner for two terms. His ability and skill
along professional lines have been demonstrated in the suc-
cessful handling of a number of complex medical cases, and
he is highly esteemed, not only as a professional man but as
a citizen and friend to humanity, who uses his knowledge for
the good of his fellowmen.

HARRY S. RIESER.

Harry S. Rieser, who is a worthy representative of one of
the most prominent pioneer families of Wyandot county, is
also one of the most progressive merchants and reliable busi-
ness men of Upper Sandusky, where he conducts a grocery
store. He was born in Salem township, December 11, 1869,
and is a son of John F. and Nancy (Ewing) Rieser, the former
a native of Germany and the latter of Beaver county, Penn-
sylvania. The father’s birth occurred in Baden in 1837 and
when he was nine years of age he came to America. After
landing at New York he came by canal via Albany and
Buffalo and the Great Lakes to Ohio, arriving in Sandusky
City, whence he went overland to Upper Sandusky, arriving
there early in the year 1846. He grew to maturity in that
section and for many years afterward followed farming, be-
coming also identified with public life as postmaster of Upper
Sandusky. In 1894 he turned his attention to mercantile
pursuits, establishing himself in the grocery business in part-

46

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

nership with his son and continuing in it until 1911, when he
passed away. His death was widely and deeply regretted,
for his success was acquired only through the most upright
and straightforward methods and all who had business deal-
ings with him knew him to be a man of strict integrity and
honor. His wife’s death occurred in 1889. In their family
were ten children, six of whom have passed away. Those who
survive are: George W., a resident of Toledo, Ohio; Mrs
Minnie Chase, of Baltimore, this state; Mrs. Annie Yeith of
Upper Sandusky; and Harry S., of this review.

Harry S. Rieser acquired his education in the public
schools of Upper Sandusky and later was a student in a busi-
ness college at Poughkeepsie, New York. After he Jaid aside
his books he served for one term as deputy postmaster under
his father. He afterward formed a partnership with his father
in the grocery business and together they conducted a
flourishing enterprise of this character from 1894 until the
death of John F. Rieser, since which time the subject of this
review has been in business alone. He carries a large and
well selected stock of staple and fancy groceries, and has been
accorded a liberal patronage in recognition of his upright
business methods, his courteous service and his earnest desire
to please his patrons. Besides his store he owns a valuable
business property on Johnson street and an attractive modern
residence on South Main street. He is a member of the
Upper Sandusky Chamber of Commerce and well known in
this relation as a progressive and enterprising business man
whose individual success is a strong element in the city’s
advancement.

On March 23, 1894, at Upper Sandusky, Mr. Rieser was
married to Miss Mary A. Young, a daughter of Edward and
Sarah Young, the former a well known farmer of Marseilles
township. Mr. and Mrs. Rieser had three children, the
eldest of whom died in infancy. Those living are Frederick
and Joseph E. Mr. Rieser served from 1887 to 1890 as a
member of Company B, Ohio National Guard. He gives his
allegiance to the republican party, and fraternally is con-
nected with the Masonic order. His religious views are in
accord with the doctrines of the Methodist religion and he
exemplifies in his life the principles in which he believes,
serving as steward of his church. Having been a resident
of Wyandot county during all his life, he is largely familiar

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

47

with its annals from a pioneer period to the present time and
in the successful conduct of his business interests has gained
a measure of prosperity that entitles him to representation
with the substantial and leading citizens of his community.

JOSEPH BOLISH.

Joseph Bolish, county recorder of Wyandot county, was
born in Upper Sandusky, September 5, 1872, a son of Chris-
topher and Anna Bolish. The father was born in Prussia
in 1829 and worked as a laborer in his native country until he
came to Ohio, at the age of thirty-eight. He settled in Upper
Sandusky and there his death occurred in 1888. His wife, who
was born in Luxemburg, survives him and makes her home
in Upper Sandusky. In their family were nine children:
Theodore, who died on the steamer while crossing from Ger-
many to America and who was buried at sea in 1866; Susanna,
who died in childhood; a child, who died in infancy; Casper,
who passed away at the age of twenty-four; Anna, whose
death occurred in 1907; Katie, who passed away in 1897;
Joseph, of this review; Benjamin; and Theodore, the second
of the name.

Joseph Bolish acquired his education in the parochial
schools of Upper Sandusky, which he attended until he was
thirteen years of age, and when he had laid aside his books
he spent three years working as a cigar maker. For one year
thereafter he was employed in a brickyard and at the end of
that time turned his attention to railroading, an occupation
which he followed for four years. He met with a serious
accident in the discharge of his duties in this connection, los-
ing his feet, and was obliged to abandon his connection with
railroading. He opened a fruit stand which he conducted for
three years and at the end of that time bought a farm in Mif-
flin township, adding to it from time to time until he now owns
two hundred acres of valuable and productive land. He
resided upon his property for seven years but finally returned
to Upper Sandusky and joined his brother Theodore in the
conduct of a saloon. At the end of eight years he sold out his
interest to his brother in order to give his entire time to the
discharge of his duties as county recorder, to which office he

48

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

was elected in 1910 and reelected in 1912. He has since filled
this position and the affairs of the office are capably managed,
everything being done according to the most progressive
system. Mr. Bolish gives a stalwart support to the demo-
cratic party, for he believes that its principles constitute the
first elements of good government.

On July 2, 1895, Mr. Bolish married at Detroit, Michigan,
Miss Mary Weber, a daughter of John and Ellen Weber, of
Upper Sandusky, the former for many years prominently con-
nected with agricultural interests. He retired in 1910 and
makes his home in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Bolish have be-
come the parents of two children, Robert C. and Leta E. Mr.
Bolish is well known in his native county and is popular not
only with the members of the democratic party but with those
who represent the opposition, for he possesses a social, genial
nature and wins friends wherever he goes.

RICHARD A. SHEPPARD, D. 0.

Dr. Richard A. Sheppard, whose ability in the practice of
osteopathy is attested by the liberal patronage accorded him
by the people of Upper Sandusky, was born in Fostoria and is
a son of Rev. Richard D. and Jessie (Hale) Sheppard, the
former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. The
father’s birth occurred in 1858 and after he had reached
maturity he was ordained a minister. He is now connected
with the West Lafayette College. He makes his home in
Upper Sandusky. Rev. and Mrs. Richard D. Sheppard be-
came the parents of two children: Jessie Pauline, who died
in 1909; and Richard A., of this review.

The last named acquired his early education in the public
schools of Fostoria and in the high school at Paris, Illinois.
After completing the usual course he entered the American
School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, and was grad-
uated in 1911, with the degree of D. 0. He practiced for
three months thereafter in North Carolina and then opened
a branch office at Fostoria, later selling his practice in that
section to Dr. M. A. Prudden. Dr. Sheppard then came to
Upper Sandusky and in the intervening period has built up
a practice which attests the fact that he is recognized as one

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

49

of the best informed and most capable osteopathic physicians
in the city. He has always been a close student of his pro-
fession and his success further lies in his ability to apply his
knowledge correctly to the needs of his patients.

Dr. Sheppard is independent in his political beliefs, voting
for men and measures without regard to party lines. He has
attained a place of distinction in the Masonic order and along
lines of his profession belongs to the Ohio State and the Amer-
ican Osteopathic Associations. In college he was initiated
into the Phi Omicron Gramma and still retains his member-
ship. He is a devout member of the Methodist church. In
his professional service he is prompted by a laudable ambi-
tion to work his way upward and is always actuated by human-
itarian principles, which are manifest in a ready and helpful
sympathy.

LONDES M. BOWERS.

Londes M. Bowers, one of the members of the Upper San-
dusky bar, is well versed in all departments of the science of
jurisprudence and his skill and ability have found recognition
in a large and representative clientage. He is a native of
Wyandot county, born in Crane township, May 25. 1856, his
parents being John S. and Mary (Mower) Bowers. The
father was born in Richland county in 1825 and during his
active life engaged in farming, dying October 17, 1908. His
wife was born near Shippensburg, Cumberland county, Penn-
sylvania, in 1828, and passed away in 1906. To their union
were born eight children: May, who married Myron B. Case,
a farmer of Eden township, by whom she has two children,
Mabel and Beulah; Lou M., who became the wife of Elza
Carter, a lawyer in Upper Sandusky, by whom she has two
sons, Robert and Earl; Londes M., of this review; Newton M.,
who died in 1886; Mattie E., whose death occurred in 1884;
Franz S., who is a fruit grower in the state of Washington and
who married Myrtie Van Gundy, by whom he had three chil-
dren, of whom one has passed away; Virginia, who makes her
home in Upper Sandusky; and Floy, who passed away in
1887.

50

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Londes M. Bowers acquired his early education in the dis-
trict schools of Crane township, which he attended until he
was eighteen years of age. This he supplemented by a course
in college at Ada, graduating in 1885, after which he entered
the office of Elza Carter and studied law. He was admitted
to the bar at Columbus in 1893 and practiced in Upper San-
dusky for one year, entering public life at the end of that time
as probate judge of Wyandot county. He served ably and
conscientiously for one term and after leaving office practiced
his profession alone until 1902, when he formed a partnership
with H. H. Newell, which connection still maintains. Mr.
Bowers engages in general practice and the power which he
has displayed in handling intricate legal problems has won
him classification with the most successful and able members
of the local bar.

On the 8th of December, 1897, Mr. Bowers married, at
Upper Sandusky, Miss Emma L. Peifer, a daughter of Peter
and Mary (Kessler) Peifer, of Upper Sandusky. Mr. and
Mrs. Bowers became the parents of three children; Edward
P., Mary E. and Robert K. Mr. Bowers gives his political
allegiance to the republican party and is well known in the
affairs of local organization. He takes an active and public-
spirited interest in community affairs but never seeks public
office, preferring to devote his entire time to his important
professional duties. Fraternally he is connected with the
Modern Woodmen of America and the Masons and he belongs
also to the Chamber of Commerce. He is well known in Upper
Sandusky and in the vicinity, for he has resided in Wyandot
county all during his life and his many fine qualities of mind
and character have won him a wide circle of friends. In his
profession he has met with success, while in every relation of
life he has won the respect and unqualified confidence of those
with whom he has come in contact.

MALCOLM R. JOLLIE.

Among the younger men who are coming forward in Wyan-
dot county and assuming positions of prominence and impor-
tance in business and professional circles is Malcolm R. Jollie,
who has a large and gratifying patronage as a veterinary

MALCOLM R. JOLLIE

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

53

surgeon in Upper Sandusky. He is a native son of the state,
born in Jefferson on the 11th of June, 1889, his parents being
Richard C. W. and Mary Belle (Powell) Jollie. The father
was born in France on the 15th of March, 1859, and when he
was four years of age was brought to America by his parents,
who settled in Detroit, Michigan. There the father grew to
manhood and was afterward a captain on the Great Lakes for
a number of years. The mother of our subject was born in
Cleveland, Ohio, in 1868. They were the parents of three
children, Laura E., Malcolm R. and Oliver C.

Malcolm R. Jollie acquired his early education in the pub-
lic schools of Jefferson and was graduated from the high
school in 1907. Later he entered the Ohio State University
and in 1910 received his degree of D. V. M. He located for
practice in Jefferson but in December, 1911, moved to Upper
Sandusky, where in one year he has secured a large and rep-
resentative patronage, the results he has accomplished being
the best proof of his ability. Although still very young he
has already achieved a definite degree of prosperity and his
many friends do not hesitate to predict for him continued
progress in his chosen line.

On the 23d of December, 1911, at Columbus, Ohio, Mr.
Jollie was united in marriage to Miss Elinor Adelaide Beers,
a daughter of John and Anna Beers. Mr. Beers is a manu-
facturer of dairy supplies at New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas
county, Ohio, where he is well known and prominent. He has
recently purchased a farm property in that district. His wife
passed away in August, 1910, and of their ten children seven
are living. Mr. Jollie is a republican in his political beliefs
and is affiliated with the Alpha Psi fraternity. Young, ambi-
tious and energetic, he possesses in his character the elements
of success and there is no reason to doubt that he will make
still greater progress in his chosen field.

GEORGE KELLER.

George Keller, a representative of one of the oldest and
most highly esteemed pioneer families of Wyandot county, is
acceptably filling the office of sheriff, bringing to the dis-
charge of his duties the energy, public spirit and conscien-

54

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

tiousness which are traditions in his family and which have
made its members honored and respected here since early
times. He is a native of Upper Sandusky, born March 6,
1860, his parents being Joseph and Mary (Brooks) Keller,
natives of Germany. The father was born in Hockenheim,
Baden, June 13, 1829, and when he was twenty-three years of
age came to America, arriving in Ohio in the spring of 1852.
He lived for a short time at Sandusky and then came to Up-
per Sandusky, where he was an honored resident for nearly
sixty years with the exception of a few months that he and
his family spent in Belleville, Illinois, in 1866. Joseph Keller
worked as a laborer, assisting in the construction of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad through this part of Ohio and for years had
charge as foreman of the first section of that road west of
Bucyrus. In the ’80s he served for six years as city street
commissioner under the administration of D. D. Hare, but for
a number of years before his death lived a retired life. He
was a devout and faithful member of the Catholic church
during his entire life and was one of the greatest individual
forces in its spread and expansion in this part of the state.
At the time he made his first location here there was no church
edifice in Wyandot county and Joseph Keller was one of the
band of twenty-five men who erected the first church build-
ing and school. He passed away in 1912, in his eighty-third
year, and his death was widely and deeply regretted by those
among whom he had spent the best part of his life and who
honored his integrity and respected his deep sincerity and
strength of purpose. Mr. Keller married Miss Mary Brooks,
a daughter of Christian and Mary Brooks, both deceased. She
was also born in Germany, her natal day being April 3, 1839.
She was ten years of age when she came to America with her
parents, settling at Mansfield, whence they later moved into
Salem township. Her marriage occurred in 1855 and Mrs.
Keller proved a worthy and loyal helpmate to her husband
during fifty-one years of wedded life. In their family were
ten children: Frank B.; Mary; George, of this review; Eliza-
beth, the wife of Frank Mossbrugger; William, who died in
infancy; Rosie Amelia, the wife of Alexander Hampsch, of
Cleveland; Bertha; Edward; Clara, the wife of Frank Volz, of
Columbus; and William, the second of the name, who passed
away at the age of two.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

55

George Keller acquired his early education in the paro-
chial and public schools of Upper Sandusky but laid aside his
books at the early age of ten in order to work as a house boy.
After three years he obtained employment in a tile and brick
yard, spending six years there, after which he worked on a
railroad construction train for three years. He spent a simi-
lar period of time as clerk in a local produce store and then
bought a drayage business, which he conducted successfully
for four years. For one year thereafter he worked as a
laborer and from 1890 to 1895 engaged in various occupations,
finally becoming a member of the local police force. He con-
tinued his connection with it until 1902, when he was made
marshal of Upper Sandusky, serving loyally and ably until
1909. He resumed private work in that year but in 1912 was
elected sheriff of Wyandot county, an office which he still
holds. He has proved himself ideally fitted for this position,
for he possesses the integrity, ability and courage necessary
for the discharge of his duties and he has, moreover, a con-
scientious public spirit which makes him always alert and
eager in the interest of the community.

Mr. Keller married, on June 24, 1902, at Upper Sandusky,
Miss Minnie Fritchie, a daughter of Frederick and Mary
(Shumer) Fritchie, of Upper Sandusky. She also is a rep-
resentative of one of the pioneer families in the city, her
father, Frederick Fritchie, Sr., having been for years one of
the best known and most highly respected residents of the
community. He was born in Oesingen, Baden, Germany, in
1850, and remained in his native province until he was sixteen
years of age. He learned the shoemaker’s trade and fol-
lowed this occupation all during his life, having been for
twenty-eight years at the Peifer shoe store in this city. Dur-
ing the years 1870 to 1872 he served in the German army and
took part in many of the engagements of the Franco-Prus-
sian war. He arrived in America on May 6, 1876, and spent
some time in Philadelphia, after which he made his home in
Wyandot county. He was a faithful member of St. Peter’s
church and a force in local Catholic circles, having been a
charter member of the Catholic Knights of Ohio. He mar-
ried, on April 23, 1878, Miss Mary Shumer, of Norwalk, who
died July 13, 1894. To their union were born four children:
Minnie the wife of the subject of this review; John, who is

56

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

connected with the clothing firm of Fritchie & Pierman; and
Fred W., Jr., and George E., both of Upper Sandusky.

George Keller gives firm allegiance to the democratic
party and has always been active and loyal in matters of citi-
zenship. He was for three years a member of the Kirby Light
Guards and fraternally is connected with the Catholic
Knights of Ohio. He has always been a devout and faithful
attendant of the Catholic church. Those things which are
honorable and worthy find exemplification in his life and his
actions are at all times prompted by high and upright stand-
ards. He has kept alive family traditions and has added
something to the luster of the name which for half a century
has stood in Upper Sandusky for integrity, conscientious-
ness and honor.

FRED STUCKEY.

Fred Stuckey, who is closely connected with the mercan-
tile interests of Upper Sandusky as a dealer in oil and water
well supplies, is one of the progressive and prominent busi-
ness men of the city and in his successful career is following
in the footsteps of his father, who founded the enterprise
many years ago. He was born in Eden township, June 4,
1880, and is a son of Godfrey and Amelia (Rengsegger)
Stuckey. The father, a native of Holmes county, Ohio, was
born December 5, 1853, while the mother’s birth occurred in
Tuscarawas county, this state, July 18, 1855. Godfrey
Stuckey was an expert oil well operator and controlled valu-
able leases in oil lands. In the latter part of his career he
established himself as a dealer in oil and water well supplies
in Upper Sandusky and was thus engaged at the time of his
death. His wife survives him and makes her home in Upper
Sandusky. To their union were born three children. Allen
R., the eldest, is a dealer in well supplies at Bucyrus, Ohio.
He married Winona Poole and they have three children,
Wanetta, Glenn and Bernice. Fred is the subject of this re-
view. Pearl, who completes the family, is the wife of Reu-
ben H. Kuenzli, a well supply dealer at Friona, Texas.

Fred Stuckey acquired his education in the district schools
of Eden township, which he attended until he was nineteen

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 57

\

years of age, afterward spending one winter studying at Van
Wert, Ohio. After laying aside his books he joined his father
in the conduct of his oil and water well supply business, Mr.
Stuckey of this review conducting the concern alone after his
father’s death. The firm, operated under the name of Fred
Stuckey & Company, is one of the old established business en-
terprises in Upper Sandusky and is the only one of its kind in
the city. Mr. Stuckey has carried forward the business in an
able and progressive way and has secured a liberal and rep-
resentative patronage which has come to him in recognition
of his upright business methods and his high standards. He
is in addition interested in a similar concern at Friona,. Texas,
and is a stockholder in the Cook Motor Company at Delaware,
Ohio.

Mr. Stuckey belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order
of Elks and to the Orpheus Club at Upper Sandusky, and his
political allegiance is given to the republican party. He has
spent his entire active life in Wyandot county and is therefore
widely and favorably known here, for he has the reputation
of a man honorable and straightforward in his business deal-
ings and thus commands the respect and confidence of all with
whom he comes in contact.

CHARLES F. SMITH.

Charles F. Smith, who since 1891 has been engaged in the
insurance and loan business in Upper Sandusky, is one of the
prominent business men of the city and is, moreover, active
in public life. He was born in Morrow county, December 18,
1862, and is a son of John N. and Barbara (Watson) Smith,
the former a native of Morrow county, born December 18,
1840, and the latter of Richland county, born in the same
year. The father spent all of his active life engaged in farm-
ing and died November 2, 1900. His wife survives him and
makes her home in Richland county. They had six children :
Charles F., of this review; John W.; Franklin A.; Clyde C.;
James R.; and Mollie.

Charles F. Smith acquired his education in the district
schools of Morrow county and afterward spent two years at
Iberia College. He farmed afterward until 1887 and then be-

58

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

came connected with the Central Ohio Buggy Company of
Galion, Ohio, with whom he remained for about three years.
He spent one year thereafter on a farm in Kansas but in 1891
came to Upper Sandusky and entered the insurance and loan
business, with which he has been connected since that time.
He has been very successful in the conduct of his interests and
has secured a large and representative patronage, accorded
him in recognition of his honorable and straightforward busi-
ness methods. He handles life and fire insurance and all
kinds of loans, negotiating all of the business of this character
done by the Union Central Life Insurance Company in this
district. He has besides other business interests in Upper
Sandusky, being a stockholder in the Citizens Savings Bank.

Mr. Smith married, on December 30, 1889, at Lexington,
Ohio, Miss Clara Logan. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one
daughter, Grace E., who is a graduate of Madam Baur’s Con-
servatory of Music at Cincinnati.

Mr. Smith has always been eminently active and progres-
sive in his citizenship and since casting his first vote has given
loyal support to the democratic party. He was elected to
represent his district in the state legislature in 1903 and took
his seat in 1904, serving as a member of the seventy-sixth and
seventy-seventh general assemblies. During this time he lent
the weight of his influence to all progressive public measures,
standing for right, reform and progress and constantly pro-
moting the interests of his constituents in every possible way.
Fraternally he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of
America and the Methodist Brotherhood, being a devout
member of the Methodist church. Mr. Smith belongs to the
Chamber of Commerce, taking a deep interest in the general
expansion and development of the city, and Upper Sandusky
regards him as a valued addition to the ranks of her business
men.

HENRY REAR,

Henry Kear has resided in Wyandot county since his birth
in pioneer times and has not only been a witness of the growth
and progress of the section but has borne his full share in .the
work of general improvement and development. As the years

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

59

have gone by bis well directed efforts have won their natural
reward of success and prosperity, so that he stands today
among the substantial and wealthy citizens of Upper San-
dusky, where he makes his home. Mr. Kear comes of farm-
ing stock and a great deal of his life has been spent in agri-
cultural pursuits, although for the past twenty-one years he
has concentrated his attention upon the development of his
insurance business. He was born in Tymochtee township,
Wyandot countjq which was then Crawford county, Ohio, May
10, 1831, and is a son of Moses and Jemima (Nathan) Kear,
the former a native of Tarry town, New York, born August
29, 1797, and the latter of Ross county, Ohio, where her birth
occurred June 4, 1803. The father of our subject was a son of
Peter and Anna (Odell) Kear and he spent his early years
in Tarrytown, emigrating from that city to Ross county, Ohio,
in the year 1812. There he grew to manhood and there his
marriage occurred June 4, 1820. He had learned the trade of
a gunsmith and followed this in Ross county until June, 1821,
when, seeking a broader field of activity, he went to Tymoch-
tee township, this county, where he established himself in
business in early pioneer times. He dealt largely with the
Indians, who inhabited the section, and built up among them
a successful and prosperous patronage until the tribe was re-
moved to the west in 1843. Mr. Kear’s mother was a daugh-
ter of Nicholas and Catharine (Kimball) Nathan. She grew
to womanhood in her native section of Ross county and shared
her husband’s hard pioneer life. Both have passed away.

Henry Kear grew to manhood in Tymochtee township
amid the environments which fell to the lot of all pioneers.
He attended the crude country schools of his day, studying
in a little log schoolhouse with slabs for seats. He used goose
quill pens and was instructed by teachers who never made it a
practice to spare the rod and spoil the child. At eighteen he
had advanced far enough to receive a certificate to teach and
this occupation he engaged in for some twenty years, supple-
menting at an early period his district-school education by a
few terms at the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware,
Ohio. Later, however, he turned his attention to farming
and devoted a great many years of his life to this occupation,
abandoning it finally in order to engage in the insurance busi-
ness in Upper Sandusky, with which he has now been con-
nected for twenty-one years. He deals in all kinds of insur-

60

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ance, including fire, tornado, accident and plate glass, and has
secured a large and representative patronage and developed
a fine business, the able conduct of which places him among
the city’s successful and prominent men.

Mr. Rear married, November 24, 1858, at Mexico, Ohio,
Miss Susetta E. Gibbs, a daughter of J. P. and Catharine
M. Gibbs. Mr. and Mrs. Rear became the parents of four
children, John C., Laura M., Mary L. and Seth Sherman, who
has passed away. Fraternally Mr. Rear is connected with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he has been
a member for fifty-five years, being today in the twenty-eighth
year of his service as financial and recording secretary. His
religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church and, politically, he supports the man
whom he considers best fitted for the position, never being
influenced by party lines. He is active in public life and has
served ably in various responsible positions, having been
justice of the peace for three years and a member of the
board of education for more than twenty years. He is a self-
made man, who, starting out in life empty-handed and handi-
capped by the hard conditions of pioneer life, has steadily
worked his way upward, his prosperity proving his ability
and industry.

IRVIN R. MANREL.

Mercantile interests in Upper Sandusky find a worthy and
progressive representative in Irvin R. Mankel, proprietor of
one of the finest jewelry stores in the city and a young man
who well deserves his growing prominence in business circles.
He is a native son of the city, born March 22, 1889, his parents
being Frederick J. and Lizetta (Roszman) Mankel, the former
of whom was borh in Baden, Germany, in 1852 and the latter
in Salem township in 1857. The father learned the shoemak-
ing trade in his native country and came to Upper Sandusky
at the age of eighteen, pursuing his chosen line of work until
his death, which occurred April 5, 1893. His wife survives
him and makes her home in Upper Sandusky.

Irvin R. Mankel acquired his education in the public
schools of his native city, attending until he was fifteen years

IRVIN R. MANKEL

.

.

.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

63

of age, after which he clerked for some years in a local jewelry
store, becoming subsequently connected with Brauns Broth-
ers, jewelers, as a clerk and after four years bought out his
employers’ interests and since October, 1912, has been con-
ducting the enterprise alone. His patronage, drawn from the
city and from the surrounding country districts, has already
made a notable increase, for Mr. Mankel is known to be a
man of strict integrity, business ability and straightforward
methods. He is also interested in raising high-grade chickens.

On the 26th of June, 1912, Mr. Mankel was married in St.
Paul’s Lutheran parsonage in Upper Sandusky to Miss Emma
M. Oesterly, a daughter of Charles and Katherine (Matz)
Oesterly, of this city, the former identified with business inter-
ests as a successful butcher. Mr. Mankel gives his allegiance
to the democratic party but never seeks public office, pre-
ferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs.
Although still a young man he has already attained a gratify-
ing degree of success and his many friends do not hesitate to
predict for him continued progress in his chosen field.

THOMAS O’BRIEN.

Thomas O’Brien, who since 1886 has been engaged in the
plumbing and steam-fitting business in Upper Sandusky, is
one of the most popular and widely known business men of
the city, his success rewarding many years of earnest and
well directed labor. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, July
6, 1855, and is a son of Patrick and Jane (Branton) O’Brien,
the former of whom was born in Ireland in 1833 and the latter
in Chicago in 1840. The father came to America when he was
fourteen years of age and settled in Chicago, where he engaged
in milling and distilling until the temperance crusade of 1876,
after which he worked at various occupations until his death,
which occurred in 1902. His wife survived him until 1911. In
their family were ten children, three of whom have passed
away. Those who survive are Thomas, Katie, Sarah J., Rob-
ert P., Francis C., Edward and Rosie E.

Thomas 0 ’Brien attended the public schools of Upper San-
dusky until he was fourteen years of age and afterward con-
ducted a blacksmith shop until he was twenty-two. He then

Vol. II— 4

64

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

learned the plumbing and steam-fitting trade, working at it in
Pittsburg until 1886, when he again came to Upper Sandusky
and opened a shop of his own. During the intervening years
he has built up a large and representative patronage and has
gained a reputation for incorruptible integrity in business
circles. This, combined with his undoubted ability, is per-
haps his greatest asset and accounts for the fact that all of the
most important plumbing work done in Wyandot county is
entrusted to him. Jn 1902 he completed the installation of
the plumbing and gas fixtures in the county courthouse at
Upper Sandusky and has done also some excellent work in
private residences and in business buildings. He is very pop-
ular with his associates, who recognize in him a man of super-
ior ability and force of character, and who honor his integrity
and respect his upright business methods. Mr. O’Brien has a
modern, up-to-date shop, excellently equipped, and owns be-
sides a fine residence and a business block in the city. He is
a stockholder in the First National Bank of Upper Sandusky,
in the Indian Motor Car Company and is interested in many
important corporate enterprises.

On October 22, 1902, Mr. O’Brien was united in marriage
at Toledo, Ohio, to Miss Martha McGrath and they have be-
come the parents of a daughter, May R. Mr. 0 ’ Brien is inde-
pendent in his political views, supporting the men and meas-
ures in which he believes, without regard for party lines.
His strong and salient characteristics are such as endear him
to all who come within the close circle of his friendship, while
wherever he is known he is respected and honored.

ANDREW F. BARDON.

Andrew F. Bardon, who is successfully engaged in gen-
eral merchandising in Upper Sandusky, is a native of Wyan-
dot county, born in Pitt township, February 21, 1860. His
father, Henry Bardon, was a native of Switzerland, his birth
having occurred in 1825, and when he was sixteen years of
age he came to America, locating in Crawford county, Ohio,
where he engaged in farming. At the age of thirty-two he
transferred his residence to Wyandot county, buying land in
Pitt township, and this property he improved and developed

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

65

until his death in 1903. His wife, who was in her maidenhood
Miss Elizabeth Hazelbacher, was also born in Switzerland,
her birth having occurred in 1833. She survives her husband
and makes her home with the subject of this review in Upper
Sandusky. In their family were five children: Charles, who
met death by drowning at the age of fifty-three; Andrew F.,
of this review; Sarah J., who died in 1894; Henry J., who is
cashier of a bank at Morrow, Ohio, and who married Miss
Nellie Bretz, by whom he has two children; and Robert, a
telegraph operator at Morrow.

Andrew F. Bardon attended the district school in Pitt
township and then worked as a monthly laborer upon neigh-
boring farms for about four years. He spent two years there-
after engaged in various occupations and then, for five years,
farmed on shares. At the expiration of that period he bought
forty acres of land in Pitt township and after thirteen years,
during which time he brought the property to a high state of
improvement and development, sold the farm and purchased
one hundred and seven acres in Crane township. This he
operated for about eleven years but finally rented it out and
turned his attention to manufacturing, specializing in a lime
and sulphur embalming fluid. His product obtained a ready
sale upon the market and he continued in this line of work for
two years, after which he came to Upper Sandusky and pur-
chased a department store, with which he is still connected.
He carries a large and well selected line of novelties and
notions valued at five thousand dollars and in recognition of
his straightforward and reliable business methods is accorded
an extensive and steadily growing patronage and is well
known as a prosperous and progressive merchant and public-
spirited citizen. He is in addition a stockholder in the Clear
Creek Coal & Lumber Company of Tennessee and also in the
Toledo Life Insurance Company of Toledo, Ohio. He owns
a handsome residence in Upper Sandusky, the family home
standing on a spacious lot of three acres area.

In Upper Sandusky, on August 27, 1885, Mr. Bardon was
united in marriage to Miss Alice Bolyard, a daughter of Wil-
son and Elizabeth (Swinehart) Bolyard, of Upper Sandusky.
Mr. and Mrs. Bardon have four children: Harry P., a farmer,
who married Miss Grace Bowers; Grace, who is teaching
school; Cleo M., also engaged in teaching; and Robert A., who
is pursuing his studies.

60

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Bardon is a democrat in his political beliefs and emi-
nently public-spirited and progressive in matters of citizen-
ship. For three years he was supervisor of Crane township,
district No. 2, and was for eight years a valued member of the
school board. His entire life has been passed in this county
where he is widely known, and he has many friends who have
known him since childhood and who can attest to the fact
that his life has been in all respects upright and honorable.

GEORGE S. EVANS, D. D. S.

Dr. George S. Evans, who since May 1, 1908, has practiced
dentistry in Upper Sandusky with constantly increasing suc-
cess, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, February 23, 1881.
He is a son of Charles and Edith (Berlet) Evans, both natives
of Delaware county, born in 1854. The father was the pro-
prietor of a transfer line and cab livery at Delaware, an en-
terprise with which he was connected until his death in 1888.
His wife survives him and makes her home in her native sec-
tion. In their family were two children: George S., of this
review; and Ernest V., who is chief clerk of a chemical manu-
facturing company at St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Evans acquired his early education in the public
schools of Delaware, afterward entering the Ohio College of
Dental Surgery, at Cincinnati, from which he was graduated
with the degree of D.D. S. in 1903. He opened an office for
the practice of his profession in his native city and there re-
mained two years, after which he went to Shanghai, China,
and was successful in the practice of dental surgery for three
years, becoming during that time a member of the Shanghai
Volunteer Infantry, which was organized to protect the prop-
erty of the foreign inhabitants. Upon his return to America
he settled in Upper Sandusky and has since been identified
with the dental profession here. He has demonstrated his
skill and ability by much successful and difficult work and
has already built up a good practice.

On the 12th of July, 1905, Dr. Evans was united in mar-
riage at Homer, Illinois, to Miss Roxie Butler, a daughter of
Calvin B. and Venora L. (Whitlock) Butler, the former a
prominent hardware merchant of that place. Dr. Evans is

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

67

well known in the Masonic order and in the Knights of the
Maccabees and is deeply interested in the affairs of the Cham-
ber of Commerce. He gives his allegiance to the democratic
party. Although a young man he has already become a recog-
nized factor in the life of the city, for he is very popular in
social circles and in professional life has gained rank with
those whose ability and energy have won them wide
recognition.

SOLOMON S. LANGABAUGIi.

Solomon S. Langabangh, who is prominently connected
with business interests of Upper Sandusky as a partner in
the firm of Langabangh Brothers, buggy dealers, and who
conducts also an important real-estate business, was born in
Henderson county, Illinois, April 14, 1853. He is a son of
Samuel and Martha (Cherry) Langabaugh, both natives of
Pickaway county, Ohio, the father born in 1808 and the
mother in 1812. The father was a blacksmith by trade and
followed that occupation until his death, which occurred in
1853. His wife has also passed away, having survived her
husband until 1893. In their family were fourteen children:
Ellen, George, John and Joseph, all of whom have passed
away; Catherine, who married William Johns, a farmer in
Kansas, by whom she has three children; Amanda, Elizabeth,
Martha and Samuel, all deceased; Jesse, a member of the firm
of Langabaugh Brothers of which our subject is a partner;
Jacob, David and Sarah, deceased; and Solomon, of this
review.

The last named acquired his education in the district
schools of Tymochtee township and in the Carey high school,
from which he was graduated at the age of nineteen. He then
worked as a farm hand for about nine years and at the ex-
piration of that time bought one hundred acres of land in
Tymochtee township and after living upon it for eleven years
sold it and came to Upper Sandusky. He spent the first four
years of his residence here as treasurer of Wyandot county
and in 1901 established himself in the implement and buggy
business. After two years he sold the implement depart-
ment and has since developed the other branch into a large

68

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

and profitable concern, following only the most straight-
forward and upright business methods and being rewarded
by a liberal and growing patronage. Mr. Langabaugh is a
member of the firm of Langabaugh Brothers and is also inter-
ested in real estate, handling a great deal of valuable prop-
erty and doing also a large loan business. He is a stockholder
in the Commercial National Bank and in the Citizens Savings
Bank and belongs to the Upper Sandusky Chamber of Com-
merce, these connections indicating something of his high
standing in financial and business circles.

Mr. Langabaugh married, in Tiffin, Ohio, October 20, 1881,
Miss Florence M. Stokley, a daughter of Louis and Sarah
Stokley, the former a prominent farmer of Tymochtee town-
ship. Mr. Langabaugh is connected fraternally with the
Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias and
he belongs also to the Wyandot Agricultural Society. He is
one of Upper Sandusky’s most enterprising and progressive
men and his straightforward dealings, together with his in-
dustry, have won him an excellent reputation and a high place
among substantial and desirable citizens.

BENJAMIN QUICK AYRES, D. D. S.

Hr. Benjamin Quick Ayres, whose ability in the practice
of dentistry is attested by the liberal patronage accorded him
by the citizens of Upper Sandusky, was born in this city, June
17, 1861, and is a son of William and Harriett (Quick) Ayres.
The father was born in Perrysville, Ashland county, in 1815,
and spent his active life as a contractor and builder. He was
also prominent in public affairs and held the position of
county commissioner of Wyandot county at the time of his
death, which occurred on October 4, 1879. His wife was born
in Loudonville, Ashland county, in 1817. She also has passed
away. In their family were nine children: Mendus, who died
at the age of fourteen; Mary J., who passed away when she
was twelve years of age; Jonathan, who died in infancy; Wil-
liam M., whose death occurred in 1909; Ella, who died in 1905;
Clara, who makes her home in Upper Sandusky with the sub-
ject of this review; Girard, a bookkeeper, who married Belle

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

69

Frost, by whom he has three children: Benjamin Quick, the
subject of this review; and one child who died in infancy.

Dr. Benjamin Q. Ayres acquired his early education in the
public schools of Upper Sandusky and was later a student
at the Ohio Dental College at Cincinnati, from which he was
graduated in 1890, with the degree of D. D. S. Immediately
afterward he opened an office for the practice of his profession
in Upper Sandusky and has here continued since that time.
He is an exhaustive student of dentistry, interested in each
new development along lines of his profession and well versed
in its underlying prfficiples, and the success which has at-
tended his labors is the best proof of his ability. He has left
his mark also upon business interests of the city, being the
owner of a fine business block, a valuable tract of business
property at the corner of Johnson and Sandusky avenues,
and two residences, one on South Eighth street and one on
Seventh street. He is besides a stockholder in the Commer-
cial National Bank. As a member of the Chamber of Com-
merce he gives his indorsement to all measures undertaken in
the interest of the city and in his political beliefs is a demo-
crat. He was for six years a member of the Kirby Light
Guards. He is well known in Upper Sandusky, being a
recognized factor in business life, while in professional circles
he has taken his place with those whose ability and close
application have won for them wide recognition.

CHARLES F. CLOSE.

The bar of Wyandot county finds a worthy and capable
representative in Charles F. Close, wTho is now serving for a
second term as prosecuting attorney, in which connection he
is making an excellent record. He was born January 13,
1882, in Nevada, Ohio, a son of James T. and Loraine S. Close.
The father is a well known attorney and court stenographer
for the district comprising Marion, Crawford and Wyandot
counties. He came to this county at an early day and for
many years has engaged in the practice of law or in court
reporting, in which connections he has become widely known.
He makes his home in Upper Sandusky. The children of
that family are: Charles F.; Anna, the wife of Julius J. Beck-

70

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

man, of Cleveland, Ohio, by whom she has one child, Loraine;
James T., who died April 1, 1909; Imogene M., who is a clerk
in the forestry department at Washington, D. C.; Loraine, a
clerk in the patent office at Washington; and John S., who is
yet in school.

At the usual age Charles F. Close became a pupil in the
public schools of this county and passed through the consecu-
tive grades until graduated from the high school of Upper San-
dusky in 1900. He afterward spent one year in study in an
academy in the east, at which time he entered upon a steno-
graphic course in Walworth College in New York city. Be-
coming well qualified for work of that character, he was
engaged as one of the court stenographers of this district
and so continued from 1901 until 1911, possessing expert abil-
ity for the work that devolved upon him. While thus
engaged he took up the study of law and in 1906 was admitted
to the bar. Four years later he was elected to the office of
prosecuting attorney. He entered upon the duties of the
position in 1911 and made such an excellent record during
his first year’s term that he was reelected without opposition
and is now serving for a second term. He discharges his
duties with marked ability and fidelity, carefully safeguarding
the interests of the public, and has proven his knowledge of
law to be comprehensive and accurate. He is a close and
cogent reasoner and his deductions are logical and convincing.

On the 11th of October, 1911, at Upper Sandusky, Ohio,
Mr. Close was married to Miss Helen E. Hare, a daughter of
C. D. and May (McCutcheon) Hare, the former a prominent
insurance man of Wyandot county. Mr. Close gives his polit-
ical allegiance to the democratic party.

JASPER E. LANKER.

Jasper E. Lanker, engaged in the general practice of law
in Upper Sandusky and also prominently connected with busi-
ness interests as an insurance and real-estate agent, was born
in Eden township, May 6, 1880. He is a son of J oseph A. and
Sarah Viola (Taylor) Lanker, both natives of Ohio, the former
born in Eden township in 1860 and the latter in Holmes town-
ship, Crawford county, in the same year. The father is a

JASL’ER E. RANKER

• PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

73

farmer and also operates a threshing outfit, living upon the
old homestead of two hundred and forty-three acres in his
native section. He and his wife have four children. Jasper
E. is the subject of this review. Edgar L., a farmer of Eden
township, married Edna Fox, by whom he has three children,
Clare, Viola and Edgar, Jr. Pearl T. will graduate in June,
1913, with the degree of A. M., from the Ohio Northern Uni-
versity. Fairy Q. married Professor Chalmer A. Riggle, a
teacher in the Edgerton high school, Williams county. They
have one son, Albertus L. Riggle.

Jasper E. Lanker acquired his early education in the dis-
trict schools of Eden township, which he attended until he
was sixteen years of age, and he afterward entered the Ohio
Northern University at Ada. After one year in that insti-
tution he began teaching school and continued in this occupa-
tion for nine years, later studying law and engaging to some
extent in literary work. He spent two years afterward teach-
ing school in Crawford county and was then for one year upon
a farm in that section. He continued farming for some time,
removing to one of his father’s properties in Eden township
but coming to Upper Sandusky in 1912. Here he associated
himself with his uncle, Judge T. D. Lanker, in the practice
of law and has continued in this occupation since that time.
The Judge has, however, retired from active life and Mr.
Lanker manages all the legal business of the office. He is a
strong, able and forceful practitioner, well versed in the under-
lying principles of law and possessed of the strong intellectual
powers necessary for success in this difficult profession. As a
consequence he has secured a large and representative patron-
age, connecting him with much important litigation, and he
holds a prominent place among the successful and able law-
yers of this section. Mr. Lanker is also interested in the in-
surance and real-estate business and sells bonds for the Geiger
Jones Company of Canton, Ohio, for which he acts as agent
in Wyandot county. He has some valuable realty holdings
in Upper Sandusky, most of which is improved real estate,
and he holds title to three fine residences in the city, all located
on Fourth street.

On January 10, 1903, Mr. Lanker married, in LTpper San-
dusky, Miss Marguerite Courtad, a daughter of Joseph A.
Courtad, a prominent farmer of Crane township. Mr. and
Mrs. Lanker have two children, Celia Helen and Paul Thomas.

74

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Lanker gives kis allegiance to the democratic j>arty but
is never active politically. During his university days he
belonged to the Cadet Corps. He is still a young man but he
has already attained a gratifying success in his profession and
in business life and he has many friends in Upper Sandusky,
who do not hesitate to predict for him continued progress in
both fields.

GEORGE W. SAMPSON, M. D.

The medical fraternity of Wyandot county numbers
among its representatives no more able, talented or worthy
practitioner than Dr. George W. Sampson, whose work dur-
ing the thirty-three years of his professional life has been suc-
cessful, beneficial and far-reaching in its results. He is to-
day one of the most prominent physicians and surgeons in
Upper Sandusky, his labors embracing the duties of a large
private practice as well as those of United States pension
examiner and surgeon for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He
was born in Seneca county, July 15, 1854, and is the son of
one of the pioneers in this part of Ohio, his father, Dr. George
W. Sampson, having been physician to the Indians in Ty-
mochtee township for many years after his settlement here
in 1828. In that year he commenced the practice of his pro-
fession and in 1830 moved to McCutchenville, where he re-
sided until his death, which occurred at the age of ninety-two
years and four months. In the early times he aided the In-
dians with professional help and advice and became much be-
loved by them. He also conducted a flourishing and repre-
sentative private practice and was one of the most promi-
nent and popular physicians of his time. He married Miss
Nancy F. Huff, who was born in 1821 and who passed away
in 1875. They were the parents of three children: Alice, who
died at the age of four years; George W., of this review; and
Emma, who married William N. Wilkin, a salesman in Tiffin,
Ohio, by whom she had one daughter, Nellie, who died at the
age of three years.

Dr. George W. Sampson acquired his early education in a
select school at Tiffin, Ohio, and afterward attended Heidel-
berg University of that city. Before beginning his senior

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

75

year there he went to Toledo and engaged in the commission
business, spending a year and a half at this occupation. At
the end of that time he resumed his studies, working for three
months in the Toledo School of Design and then studying
medicine under his father, who was located at McCutchen-
ville. Having determined to make the practice of this profes-
sion his life work, he went in 1878 to Keokuk, Iowa, where he
entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, from which
he was graduated in 1880 with the degree of M. D. In the
same year he joined his father in the practice of medicine at
McCutchenville and their association continued for six years,
Dr. Sampson of this review coming to Upper Sandusky in
1886. He opened an office for the practice of his profession
and has since maintained a continuous residence here. He is
deeply interested in his profession, having long been a thor-
ough and discriminating student of the science of medicine,
and he has carried his investigations far and wide into the
realms of research along medical lines. That he has attained
proficiency and skill is indicated in the large practice which
is accorded him and which has made him one of the success-
ful members of the medical fraternity in Wyandot county.
He and Dr. G. O. Maskey, with whom he is associated in prac-
tice, do a great deal of the surgical work performed in this
part of the state and have a wide and growing reputation
which they have secured by reason of the remarkable results
which they have achieved along this line. Aside from his
private practice Dr. Sampson is also acting as pension exam-
iner and president of the pension board, under appointment
by President McKinley, and is also doing notable work as
surgeon for the Pennsylvania Railroad at Upper Sandusky, a
position which he has held continuously for twenty-five years.

On the 1st of September, 1881, Dr. Sampson was united in
marriage at McCutchenville to Miss Anne E. Johnson, a
daughter of Milo C. and Hannah (Brundage) Johnson, the
former a farmer residing near McCutchenville. Dr. and Mrs.
Sampson have a daughter, Grace E., who is a graduate of
Madame Baur’s Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Sampson owns a fine residence on South Sandusky
avenue and also one hundred and fifteen acres of land in Crane
township, from the rent of which he derives a comfortable
addition to his income. He is a man who has always been
faithful to every obligation of his life, discharging his pro-

76

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

fessional work and the dutes of citizenship ably and loyally.
When only ten years of age, in 1864, he enlisted in the Federal
army as a drummer boy and went with his company as far
as Camp Chase, where, owing to his extreme youth, he was
not accepted for service. However, he was even then very
patriotic and loyal and did valuable work in recruiting the
Forty-ninth Volunteer Infantry, under General William H.
Gibson. Hr. Sampson gives his political support to the re-
publican party and is especially interested in educational
affairs, having served from 1911 to 1912 as president of the
local school board. He is connected with the Masonic order,
in which he belongs to the Knights Templar, and is also iden-
tified with the Red Men and the Tribe of Ben Hur. In pro-
fessional lines he belongs to the Wyandot County Medical
Society and the Ohio State Medical Society, and he is also a
member of the National Railroad Surgeons Association and
the Pennsylvania Railroad Surgeons Association. Except in
the positions before mentioned Dr. Sampson has never sought
to figure prominently in public life, preferring to give his un-
divided attention to his professional duties, which he dis-
charges with a sense of conscientious obligation and with a
thorough understanding of the responsibility which devolves
upon him.

CHARLES OESTERLEY.

Charles Oesterley, who since 1892 has conducted a butcher
business in Upper Sandusky, is a native of Germany, born
March 12, 1857, and is a son of Andrew and May (Berkly)
Oesterley. The father was a butcher by trade and conducted a
store in his native country for some time. He was born in
1827 and in 1863 came to Ohio, where he died in 1892. His
wife has also passed away, her death having occurred January
26, 1890, when she was sixty-three years two months and fif-
teen days of age.

Charles Oesterley acquired a limited education in the pub-
lic schools of Upper Sandusky, which he attended until he
was fourteen years of age, but his educational advantages
were extremely limited and have been supplemented in later
life by constant reading, experience and observation. For
two years after laying aside his books he worked in a brick

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

77

yard in Upper Sandusky but afterward learned the butcher
business, at which he worked in the employ of others until
1892, when he began his independent career. He owns a first-
class, modern butcher shop, equipped with machinery and
fixtures valued at fifteen hundred dollars, and in recognition
of his straightforward business methods and high quality of
the goods which he handles has been accorded a liberal and
constantly increasing patronage. He owns in addition
eighteen acres of land and a comfortable and commodious
residence on North Third street.

On the 15th of May, 1892, Mr. Oesterley married, in Upper
Sandusky, Miss Katie Matz, a daughter of George and
Catherine Matz, the former of whom followed the occupation
of carpet weaving. Mr. Matz was born in 1837 and died in
1907, while his wife was born in 1839 and died in 1901. Mr.
and Mrs. Oesterley became the parents of a daughter, Emma,
who married Irving Mankle, a jeweler of Upper Sandusky.

Mr. Oesterley is a devout adherent of the German Lutheran
church and politically gives his allegiance to the democratic
party. He is interested in the progress and welfare of the
community in which he has resided for so many years and as
a member of the town council did his best to promote all meas-
ures of reform and advancement. Although born in Germany
and still loyal to the memory of his fatherland, Mr. Oesterley ’s
enterprising and progressive spirit has made him a typical
American in every sense of the word. By constant exertion,
guided by good judgment, he has raised himself to the promi-
nent position he now holds in mercantile circles, having the
friendship of many and the respect of all who know him.

WILLIAM J. FRAZIER.

William J. Frazier, who since 1854 has been engaged in
the cabinet-maker’s trade, is one of the oldest residents in
Upper Sandusky and has been an active force in the growth
and development of the city for almost half a century. He
was born in Canal Dover, Ohio, October 13, 1830, and is a son
of Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Spach) Frazier, the former a na-

78

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

tive of New Jersey, born in 1802, and the latter of Stark
county, her birth having occurred about the year 1807. The
father was a carpenter by trade and a pioneer in Canal Dover,
having come to that community before the canal was con-
structed. He died in 1872 and was survived by his wife until
1907.

William J. Frazier was one of a family of eleven children.
He grew to manhood in Holmes county and there attended
district school until he was seventeen years of age, walking
three miles daily to the schoolhouse. After he had laid aside
his books he learned the carpenter’s trade and followed it for
two years, after which he took up cabinet-making, in which
he has now engaged for over half a century. Each year of
this period has added something to his skill and today he is
one of the most expert workmen in his line in the state. He
was one of the pioneers in Wyandot county, coming to the
section in 1864, when it was still comparatively undeveloped,
and throughout the course of his long residence here his in-
terest in its further progress and advancement has never les-
sened. For a time he was foreman of the sash and door
factory in Upper Sandusky but afterward became connected
as a cabinet-maker with Brinkerhoff ’s music store, where he
has been employed for thirty-two years, winning that pros-
perity which always follows earnest, persistent and well di-
rected labor.

Mr. Frazier married, February 18, 1854, at Dayton, Ohio,
Miss Elizabeth Leggett, a daughter of David and Lydia Leg-
gett. Mr. and Mrs. Frazier became the parents of eleven
children, five of whom are still living, Sarah Alice, the eld-
est, married Curtis McBride, a lawyer in Mansfield, and they
have one son, Victor. Harry L. is a postoffice railroad clerk
in Chicago. He married Miss Hattie Parkinson, and they
became the parents of two sons, Karl F. and William. Arthur
D. is also a postoffice clerk in Chicago. He is married and
has a daughter, Edith. Annette married Harry Striner, a
painter and paper hanger in Upper Sandusky. They have
four children, Irene, Alice, Kenneth and Morris. Charles L.
is the proprietor of a steam laundry in Upper Sandusky.
His wife was in her maidenhood Miss Myrtle Kirk, and they
have one son, John K.

Mr. Frazier gives a general allegiance to the republican
party but, while he is public-spirited in his citizenship, his

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

79

interest never takes the form of office seeking. He is active
in everything pertaining to the city’s progress, and move-
ments for the public good have never sought his aid in vain.
Moreover, in his business career he has demonstrated the
value and worth of unflagging perseverance, determination
and unsullied business integrity and throughout the many
years of his activity in Wyandot county has gained the full
trust and confidence of those with whom he has been asso-
ciated.

ALLEN B. WHITNEY.

Allen B. Whitney is one of the prominent and leading
business men of Wyandot county, being president of the Ohio
Manufacturing Company and vice president of the Citizens
Savings Bank of LTpper Sandusky. He was born in Mount
Vernon, Ohio, December 2, 1877, a son of Amza A. and Jennie
(Henderson) Whitney, the former born in Sunbury, this
state, in 1852, and the latter in Mount Vernon in 1850. The
father was for many years a dry- goods merchant at Mount.
Gilead, Ohio, and there his death occurred August 20, 1911.
He had survived his wife since 1885. They were the parents
of three children: Allen B., of this review; Clarence; and
Horace, who married Bertha Talmage.

Allen B. Whitney acquired his early education in the pub-
lic schools of Mount Gilead, graduating from the high school
in that city. He later attended the Ohio Wesleyan Univer-
sity at Delaware, receiving his degree from that institution
in 1899. Afterward for two years he taught school and then
was for one year traffic manager for the United States Tele-
phone Company. At the end of that time he turned his atten-
tion to banking, entering the National Bank of Morrow
County at Mount Gilead, as assistant cashier, but after two
years he came to Upper Sandusky and became connected in
1905 with the Ohio Manufacturing Company as secretary.
His worth as a shrewd and able business man was recognized
when in 1909, after the death of his father-in-law, M. W.
Kouns, he was made president of the concern, a position
which he still holds, being also vice president of the Citizens
Savings Bank. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of per-

80

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ception, forms his plans readily and is determined in their
execution, and his close application to business and his ex-
cellent management have brought him a high degree of pros-
perity.

Mr. Whitney married, February 24, 1903, at Washington
Court House, Ohio, Miss Jane Kouns, a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. M. W. Kouns, of Columbus, the father being for many
years connected with the Ohio Manufacturing Company as
president. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney had three children, Alfred,
Richard and Virginia.

Mr. Whitney is a member of the Methodist church and
politically is identified with the democratic party. He is a
member of the Upper Sandusky Chamber of Commerce and
has important fraternal affiliations, belonging to the lodge,
chapter and commandery of the Masonic order, and to the
Knights of Pythias. He is recognized as a leader in business
circles of Upper Sandusky and he well merits the success
which has come to him, for it has been gained through busi-
ness methods which neither seek nor require disguise.

JOSEPH NEIDIG.

One of the most straightforward, energetic and successful
business men of Upper Sandusky is Joseph Neidig, who con-
ducts a marble yard and monument business in the city which
is his native community. His birth occurred on the 28th of
November, 1862, and he is a son of Valentine and Elizabeth
(Cook) Neidig, natives of Germany, the father born in Baden
in 1822 and the mother in 1827. Valentine Neidig was a tailor
by trade and followed that occupation both in Germany and
America. He died in 1906, his wife surviving him until 1911.
In their family were fourteen children, eight of whom are still
living, namely; Herbert, Joseph, Katie, Peter, Henry, Wil-
liam, Maggie and Lizzie.

Joseph Neidig attended the parochial schools of Upper
Sandusky until he was twelve years of age and then laid aside
his books and worked at various occupations until 1886. In
that year he began to learn the marble-working trade and
after mastering its details, engaged in it for seventeen years.
He became a proficient and expert worker, commanding high

— :

JOSEPH NEIDIG

A

.

'

■

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

83

wages, and, being ambitions and energetic, be saved his money
and eventually became able to establish a business of his own.
He opened a marble yard and monument business in his pres-
ent location and in the course of years gained prosperity and
success, being now numbered among the representative busi-
ness men of the town. His place is modern and completely
equipped and all of his work shows individuality and attract-
iveness of design as well as skill in execution. In all of his.
activities Mr. Neidig is systematic and methodical and his
laudable ambition and determination have been forceful ele-
ments in his success.

On June 15, 1887, Mr. Neidig was united in marriage at
Upper Sandusky to Miss Sarah A. Feely, a daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Patrick Feely, the former a prosperous farmer who
came to Ohio in 1855 and died in this state in 1902, at the age
of sixty-seven. He had long survived his wife, who passed
away in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Neidig are the parents of two
children. Hortense married Charles W. Bringman, of Upper
Sandusky, who is well known as a musician and leader of the
Citizens Band. They have one son, Wallace Paul. The other
child born to Mr. and Mrs. Neidig is a son, Clarence P.

Mr. Neidig has extensive fraternal relations, being a mem-
ber of the Royal Arcanum, the Modern Woodmen of America
and the Improved Order of Red Men. For five years he was
a member of the Kirby Light Guards. In his political views
he is a loyal democrat, giving stanch support to the men and
measures of that party. He served as councilman for two
years but has held no other public office, not being ambitious
for official recognition. He is widely known in Upper San-
dusky, where he has spent his entire life and where his gen-
uine personal worth, high integrity and straightforward prin-
ciples have gained for him the good-will, trust and respect of
all with whom he has been associated.

JOHN H. KINLEY.

John H. Kinley, merchant and inventor, is one of the well
known men in business circles of Upper Sandusky, where his
name stands for progress, enterprise and strict business in-
tegrity. He has conducted a large hardware store since 1896

Voi. n— 5

84

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

and his honorable methods and straightforward dealings have
been rewarded by a steadily increasing success, which places
him among the men of prominence and importance in the
city. He is a native of Wyandot county, born in Tymochtee
township, February 27, 1857, a son of George Frederick and
Susanna (Soehunberger) Kinley, natives of Baden, Ger-
many, the father born in 1814 and the mother in 1817. George
F. Kinley came to the United States in 1846 and settled in
Ohio, where he engaged in farming until his death on April
14, 1874. His wife survived him many years, dying on Sep-
tember 19, 1906. In their family were seven children. The
eldest, Frederick, who passed away in 1909, engaged in farm-
ing. He married Hester A. Brown and they had two children,
William E. and Nava N. William has been twice married.
His first wife was Miss Laura Swinhart, who passed away in
1901. His second wife was a native of Indiana. He has three
children. Henry is county commissioner of Crane township.
He married Mary E. Tillen and has eight children. Mary
became the wife of Frank Marks, formerly a contractor in
Wichita, Kansas. He died in 1900, leaving four children.
Louis married Ellen Yon Blon and after her death in 1886
wedded Amelia Weber. They reside in Upper Sandusky and
are the parents of one child. Caroline married Levi Paulin,
a carpenter in Santa Barbara, California. They have six
children. John H. is the subject of this review and the
youngest child in this family.

The last named attended district school in Tymochtee
township and high school in Upper Sandusky. He supple-
mented this by a course in the normal school at Ada and by a
few years’ attendance at Valparaiso College, after which he
spent ten years teaching school. During the summers he
worked at the carpenter’s trade but in 1886 secured a posi-
tion as clerk in the hardware store conducted by J. A. Gott-
fried & Brother, and he there remained for ten years, learn-
ing the details of the business and becoming an expert in
modern merchandising. In 1896 he established himself in
business, purchasing a small hardware store in Upper San-
dusky. His enterprise was destroyed by fire in 1909, but he
immediately rebuilt and installed a new line of hardware and
queensware. Mr. Kinley has here a complete, modern and
up-to-date establishment, one hundred and sixty-four feet
long and three stories high. His stock is well selected and

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

85

his business methods are above reproach. He has patented
some very ingenious appliances, known as the Kinley scoop
flue stop and the Kinley victor flue stop, which he manu-
factures and jobs to the wholesale trade all over the United
States, his profits from the sales of his inventions being a val-
uable addition to his income. Mr. Kinley is known in Upper
Sandusky as a reliable, efficient and far-sighted business man,
and these qualities have secured for him a gratifying patron-
age and made his name an important one in business circles.

On the 12th of May, 1881, Mr. Kinley married, at Upper
Sandusky, Miss Caroline F. Stecher, a daughter of George
J. and Christina (Mollenberger) Stecher, the former a
gardener in Upper Sandusky. Mr. and Mrs. Kinley became
the parents of five children. Harry E. is clerking in his
father’s store in Upper Sandusky. He married Miss Abbie
L. Lowery, daughter of W. J. Lowery. The others are George
F., J. Avery, Villa C. and Everet R. The family are mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Kinley ’s fraternal connections are with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of
America, the Royal Arcanum and the Rebekahs. He is a
stanch republican in his political beliefs and has served as
councilman for the third ward, his service being distinguished
by straightforward and conscientious work in the city’s in-
terests. From 1880 to 1884 he was a member of the Kirby
Light Guards. He is one of the active and progressive
merchants of Upper Sandusky — a man of good business
capacity and enterprise and of unquestioned integrity, en-
joying in an unusual degree the confidence and good will of
the community.

HENRY CLAY LITTLE.

Henry Clay Little, who since 1885 has been in the poultry
business in Upper Sandusky, is senior member of the firm of
H. Little & Sons, poultry dealers and shippers. His store is
the largest of its kind in this part of Ohio and he himself, by
reason of his progressive methods and resourceful ability,
is numbered among the men who have for years been active
in promoting and shaping the business development of the

86

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

state. He was born in Upper Sandusky, September 14, 1854,
and is a son of Alexander H. and Elizabeth (Huff) Little, the
former born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and the
latter in Germany, in 1834. The father came to Wyandot
county when he was still a boy and grew to manhood in this
section, following the occupation of farming. He was well
known in local politics and for the last twenty years of his
life served as constable, dying in 1897. His wife has also
passed away, her death having occurred in 1873. In their
family were three children: Henry Clay, of this review; Alice
E.; and May A.

Henry C. Little attended district school in Crane town-
ship until he was nineteen years of age and then turned his
attention to farming, an occupation which he followed until
1882. For four years thereafter he worked upon a farm in
Kansas but at the end of that time returned to Upper San-
dusky and after three years embarked in the poultry busi-
ness, with which he has been connected since that time. In
business circles his name has become a synonym for integrity,
honor and straightforward dealing and as a result his concern
has grown and expanded, being today one of the largest in
Ohio. Mr. Little has taken his two sons into partnership
with him under the firm name of H. Little & Sons and the
father handles all kinds of dressed and live poultry besides
doing an extensive shipping business to the eastern markets,
where they sell about six hundred thousand pounds a year.
Mr. Little is a progressive, able and successful business man,
who has gained prosperity by hard and intelligently directed
work through the years and who stands today as a central
figure in mercantile circles. He also owns two hundred and
forty acres of valuable land in Texas and has recently erected
a modern, nine-room residence on South street, Upper San-
dusky, and has here besides extensive property interests,
owning three other fine dwellings, which he rents out, besides
his valuable business structure.

Mr. Little married, on the 3d of October, 1878, in Allen
county, Ohio, Miss Christina A. McKee, a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. James McKee, the former a prominent farmer of Allen
county. Mr. and Mrs. Little became the parents of three
children. Walter is the eldest in the family. Forest H., mar-
ried Matilda Baldauf, a daughter of Andy Baldauf, of Upper
Sandusky. They have four children, Earl H., Laura M., Rob-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

87

ert and Ray F. Birdie, the youngest child in this family, be-
came the wife of Harry Schuler, a poultry buyer in Upper
Sandusky, connected with the firm of H. Little & Sons. They
have one child, Russell.

Mr. Little gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party and his only fraternal relation is with the Royal
Arcanum. Few men are more prominent or more widely
known in Upper Sandusky than he, for he has been an im-
portant factor in business circles for almost twenty-five years,
and his prosperity is well deserved, for it is the result of his
unbending integrity, his energy and his well directed in-
dustry.

WALTER M. SMALLEY, M. D.

Dr. Walter M. Smalley, practicing in Upper Sandusky
along modern scientific lines, is recognized as an able expo-
nent of his profession and the liberal patronage accorded him
is proof of the confidence reposed in him by the general pub-
lic. He is also a successful and discriminating business man,
his shrewdness and foresight being important elements in the
rapid expansion of the Union National Drug Company, of
which he is the vice president and a large stockholder. He
was born in Fredericksburg, Wayne county, Ohio, January
19, 1862, and is a son of Dr. Jacob W. and Margaret C. Arm-
strong (Porter) Smalley. The father was a native of Wayne
county, born August 30, 1822, and a prominent and success-
ful practicing physician, engaging in the duties of his profes-
sion until 1882 and passing away in 1902. The mother was a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Porter, early settlers in
Holmes county. She has also passed away, her death having
occurred in 1901. In their family were four children: Wil-
liam P., who makes his home with the subject of this review;
Walter M., the subject of this sketch; Charles E., who mar-
ried Miss Effie Sellers, of Marysville, Ohio, and who has four
children; and Richard, who lives in the west.

Dr. Walter M. Smalley acquired his early education in the
grammar and high schools of Upper Sandusky and supple-
mented this by a course in the Western Reserve LTniversity
at Cleveland, which he attended for two years. He later en-

88

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

tered the Fort Wayne (Indiana) College of Medicine, from
which he was graduated in 1889 with the degree of M. D. In
the same year he began the practice of his profession at Ohio
City, in Van Wert county, and there continued for fourteen
years, coming at the end of that time to Upper Sandusky,
where he has since lived. Here he opened an office and has
been successful in the general practice of medicine and
surgery, his ability drawing to him a large and representative
patronage. For five years he was associated with Dr. Naus
in the conduct of the Smalley & Naus Sanitarium but in 1911
he sold out his interests to his partner. By reading and in-
vestigation Dr. Smalley keeps in touch with the advanced
thought of the profession and his labors have been attended
with excellent results viewed from both a financial and pro-
fessional standpoint. He is, besides, well known in business
circles of Upper Sandusky as vice president of the Union
National Drug Company, which was incorporated in 1911
with the following officers: J. W. T. Davis, president; Dr.
Walter M. Smalley, vice president; and Ira R. Pontius, sec-
retary and treasurer. Dr. Smalley is also vice president of
the Cosmo Buttermilk Soap Company and is a large stock-
holder in that concern.

On April 23, 1890, Dr. Smalley was united in marriage in
Upper Sandusky to Miss Myrtie L. Kenan, a daughter of
Alvin and Elizabeth Kenan, the former a prominent real-
estate dealer of the city. Dr. and Mrs. Smalley have three
children, Margaret Elizabeth, Alvin Kenan and Cora Helen.
The family reside in a comfortable and attractive residence in
Upper Sandusky, which forms only a part of Dr. Smalley’s
extensive real-estate interests which include valuable tracts
of residence and business property.

Dr. Smalley is a member of the Presbyterian church, and
his political allegiance is given to the republican party. Fra-
ternally he is connected with the Masonic order, the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and
the Knights of the Maccabees, and he belongs also to the
Chamber of Commerce. He was for four years a member of
Company B, Ohio National Guard, and served ably and effi-
ciently as a member of the board of deputy supervisors of
election of Wyandot county. He is a progressive and earnest
physician, keeping in touch with the trend of modern thought
concerning matters of professional advancement, but with a

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

89

mind broad enough in its scope to include interest in munici-
pal and business affairs. He has made a creditable record
both as a business man and as a member of the medical fra-
ternity and has met with gratifying success in his practice.

FRANKLIN J. STALTER.

Franklin J. Staffer, a prominent and successful attorney
at law in Upper Sandusky, was bom in Sycamore township,
this county, September 18, 1870. He is a son of Jacob and
Saloma (Pennington) Staffer, both natives of Sycamore
township, the former born in 1831 and the latter in 1839. The
father died in 1878 and is survived by his wife, who makes
her home in Sycamore. They were the parents of seven chil-
dren, Alvada, James, Rose, Mary, David, Franklin J. and
Allen P.

Franklin J. Staffer acquired his preliminary education in
the public schools of Sycamore and in 1898 was graduated in
law from the Northern Ohio University at Ada, receiving in
that year his degree of LL. B. In the same year he was ad-
mitted to the bar of Ohio but did not immediately begin the
practice of his profession, spending two years after his ad-
mission in teaching school. In 1900 he opened an office in
Sycamore and there remained for four years, coming at the
end of that time to Upper Sandusky, where he has since re-
mained. His ability and knowledge are indicated by a large
and steadily increasing patronage which connects him with
much important litigation, the able conduct of which
has gained him a leading place in the ranks of the legal fra-
ternity of Wyandot county.

On the 18th of July, 1899, in Sycamore township, Mr. Stal-
ter was united in marriage to Miss Bertha E. Grelle, a daugh-
ter of George H. and Regena Grelle, of Sycamore township.
Mr. and Mrs. Staffer have four children, Saloma Regena,
Helen, Martha Arvilla and Harriet Marquieta. Mr. Staffer
is associated with the Reformed church, and fraternally is
connected with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. He
gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and
takes an active and intelligent interest in public affairs. He
is particularly interested in educational matters and has done

90

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

able work in advancing the cause of public education in the
city as a member of the board of education, of which he is also
secretary. He served his party ably in 1912 as a delegate to
the fourth congressional convention, held at Columbus, and
his political support is always given to progressive public
measures and projects for the general good. He is a public-
spirited and loyal citizen, anxious to advance the community
interests while not neglectful of his own, and his record both
in public service and in professional circles is honorable and
worthy.

GEORGE J. STECHER.

George J. Stecher, a prominent member of the Upper San-
dusky bar, has been practicing in this city since 1895 and by
reason of his knowledge, ability and successful work has
gained a high place in a profession where advancement de-
pends almost entirely upon individual merit. He is a native
son of Upper Sandusky, born May 29, 1857, his parents being
George J. and Christina (Nollenberger) Stecher. The father
was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1807, and came to
Upper Sandusky in 1854. He was a skilful gardener and very
successful in this occupation, which he followed until his
death in 1887. His wife, who was a native of Wilsbach, Ger-
many, where her birth occurred in 1822, has also passed away.
In their family were eight children. The eldest, Hannah,
married Michael Burkhardt, an engineer, and they have four
sons, Jacob J., George J., Charles F. and Frederick. Charles
F. is a railroad engineer, with headquarters at Fort Wayne,
Indiana. He married Louisa Bucher, and they have five chil-
dren, Frederick, George G., Mary, Albert and Edith. The
next in the order of birth in the family is Christian. Fred-
erick C. is a minister in Camp Point, Illinois. He married
Miranda G. Bauer, and has two children, William and Mary.
Gottlieb C. is engaged in contracting at Upper Sandusky.
He married Mary K. Eisermann and has seven children, Min-
nie, Nettie, Dora, Karl, Oscar, Helen and Florence. George
J. is the subject of this review. Caroline F. became the wife
of J. H. Kinley, a merchant in Upper Sandusky. They have
five children, Harry E., George F., Avery J., Villa C. and

GEORGE -T. STECHER

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

93

Everet R. The youngest in the family, Mary C., married E. E.
Class and lives at Bucyrus, Ohio.

George J.. Stecher attended public school until he was
fourteen years of age and was graduated, in 1894, from the
Cincinnati Law School at Cincinnati. He was admitted to
the bar of Ohio in 1895 and opened an office in Upper San-
dusky, forming a partnership with Judge D. D. Clayton, now
deceased. After the latter’s death Mr. Stecher associated
himself with A. E. Walter, with whom he remained until 1909,
since which time he has been in practice alone. His ability is
recognized in a large and still increasing patronage, for his
cases are always carefully conducted and his clients’ interests
guarded at every point. He is a thorough and exhaustive
student of his profession, in which he has made continual ad-
vancement since his admission to the bar, standing today in
the front ranks of the legal fraternity in this part of Wyan-
dot county. He is a member of the Wyandot County Bar
Association and in this way keeps in touch with the advanced
thought of his profession.

Mr. Stecher married, in Upper Sandusky, May 7, 1902,
Miss Hattie E. Day, a daughter of Joseph and Mattie
(Stewart) Day, of Wyandot county. Mr. and Mrs. Stecher
have two children, Joseph Day and Ruth Loretta. The family
are members of the Evangelical church. Mr. Stecher gives
his allegiance to the republican party, but never seeks office.
All measures and movements for the public welfare receive
his active support and cooperation and he is well known and
highly esteemed as one of Upper Sandusky’s most deservedly
successful native sons.

WILLIAM H. SNYDER.

William H. Snyder, who has been a resident of Carey for
more than a third of a century, is one of the town’s leading
citizens and a prominent factor in industrial circles, conduct-
ing here a planing mill, a gristmill, a concrete block manufac-
turing plant and an ice house and also owning considerable
residence and other property. His prosperity is all the more
creditable by reason of the fact that it is attributable entirely
to his own efforts, and he is a self-made man whose record

94

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

may well serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement
to others. His birth occurred in Lancaster county, Pennsyl-
vania, on the 19th of June, 1856, his parents being William
and Sarah (Hilsker) Snyder, who were likewise natives of
the Keystone state, the former born in 1817 and the latter
in Lancaster county in the same year. William Snyder fol-
lowed general agricultural pursuits throughout his active
career and passed away on the 3d of April, 1899. His wife
was called to her final rest on the 17th of March, 1889.
Their children were six in number, as follows: Christian H.;
Susan, who passed away at the age of fifty-two years; Aaron;
Amos; William H., of this review; and Amanda.

William H. Snyder attended the district schools of his na-
tive county until seventeen years of age and after putting
aside his text-books learned the carpenter’s trade. In 1878,
when a young man of twenty-two years, he came to Carey,
Ohio, and this town has since remained his place of residence.
The enviable success which has attended his efforts in a busi-
ness way is indicated in the fact that he is at the present time
the owner of a planing mill and gristmill at Carey and also
conducts a concrete block manufacturing plant and an ice
house with a capacity of one thousand tons of ice. His realty
interests include seven pieces of residence property and
twenty-five building lots in Carey, while he likewise owns a
planing mill and grain elevator at Vanlue. Possessed of
splendid executive ability and sound judgment, he has worked
his way steadily upward and has gradually extended his in-
terests and activities until he is now numbered among the
most prosperous business men and substantial citizens of
Wyandot county.

On the 12th of October, 1881, at Carey, Ohio, Mr. Snyder
was united in marriage to Miss Annie Musselman, a daugh-
ter of Levi Musselman, whose demise occurred on the 22d of
February, 1907. Unto our subject and his wife have been
born the following children: Clarence; Cora, the wife of
Harry M. Keller, a monument manufacturer of Carey, by
whom she has a son, William H.; Maud; Grover; Howard; and
George.

Mr. Snyder gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party and is an active worker in its local ranks as a member
of the democratic state central committee at Carey. Frater-
nally he is identified with the Masons, in which order he has

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

95

attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He
also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. His religious faith is indicated by his
membership in the English Lutheran church. His life record
commands the respect and confidence of all who know him,
and indicates clearly his force of character and his ability
along business lines.

HOWARD H. NEWELL.

For twenty-one years Howard H. Newell has been a repre-
sentative of the Ohio bar, practicing in Upper Sandusky,
where he is accorded a liberal clientage connecting him with
much important litigation tried in the courts of the district.
Wyandot county claims him as a native son, his birth having
occurred in Mifflin township in 1867. His father, Charles W.
Newell, who was born in Carroll county, this state, in 1842*
was also an attorney, practicing throughout his entire life.
He married Millie V an Horn, who was born in Carroll county
in 1845, and is now living with her son. The father, however,
passed away in 1872. He was a soldier of the Civil war,
enlisting as a member of Company D, Eightieth Regiment of
Ohio Infantry, and when he was discharged on the expiration
of his three years’ term he re-enlisted for another three years,
or until the close of the war. Four months passed and hostili-
ties ceased, after which he was again honorably discharged.
He participated in a number of hotly contested battles and
was a brave and loyal soldier, never hesitating at the call of
duty. Unto him and his wife were born three children: How-
ard H., Robert M., a carpenter of Liverpool, Ohio, who wedded
Mary Ball and has six children ; and one, who died in infancy.

At the usual age Howard H. Newell became a pupil in the
district schools and afterward spent two years as a student
in the Northern Ohio University. When twenty-two years of
age he took up the profession of teaching which he followed
in the rural schools. It was subsequent to this time that he
pursued his university course and later he entered upon the
study of law in the office and under the direction of D. D.
Clayton, an able attorney. He carefully and thoroughly mas-
tered the principles of jurisprudence until his knowledge of

96

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the law was sufficient to enable him to pass the required exam-
ination for admission to the bar in 1891. He located for
practice in Upper Sandusky and has been very successful.
His qualities have enabled him to greatly advance in his
chosen profession and he now has a large and well merited
clientage. He has twice filled the office of prosecuting attor-
ney of his county.

On the 26th of April, 1891, in Upper Sandusky, Mr. Newell
was married to Miss Eva C. Forney, a daughter of John W.
and Mary (Kohr) Forney, of Wyandot county, where the
father followed the occupation of farming. Mr. and Mrs.
Newell became the parents of three children, but Ruth died
when a young lady and the second died in infancy. The living
daughter, Louise, is now a student in the Ohio Wesleyan
University.

Mr. Newell has an interesting military chapter in his life
record, having for three years been a member of Company B,
of the Second Ohio Regiment of the National Guard. His
political allegiance has always been given to the democratic
party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise.
Not only in political connections, but in other ways has
he attempted to promote the welfare of his city and county.
His name is on the membership roll of various fraternal organ-
izations including the Masons, the Benevolent Protective
Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Newell’s family are associated
with the Methodist church and at all times cooperate in the
movements which promote material, intellectual and moral
progress. He and his family are well known here and the
hospitality of many of the best homes of the city is freely
accorded them.

SARAH DAUGHMER.

Sarah Daughmer owns and operates two hundred acres of
land on section 37, Antrim township, and in her farming opera-
tions has attained a degree of success which places her upon a
par with the most able agriculturists in this section of the
county. She was born in Antrim township, April 29, 1839,
and is a daughter of James and Sarah (Bargahoof ) Daughmer,

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

97

natives of Virginia, the former born in 1807 and the latter in
1804. The father came to Ohio with his family in 1831 and
from that time until his death, in 1894, engaged in farming.
His wife has also passed away, her death having occurred in
1872. In their family were six children, Lydia, Nicholas G.,
Elizabeth A., Joel, Sarah and Thomas C., all of whom are
living, except J oel, who died in infancy.

Sarah Daughmer acquired her education in the district
schools of her native township and has always lived upon the
homestead. She now owns and operates this property of two
hundred acres and has shown unusual executive ability and
business sense in carrying forward the work of development.
She has a valuable farm, well equipped and improved, and
every year harvests fine crops of hay and grain as a reward for
the care and labor she bestows upon the fields. In addition
she is extensively interested in sheep raising, keeping four
hundred high-grade animals. There is a fine residence upon
the property, in which Miss Daughmer lives with her brother;
Thomas C., and both are well known and highly esteemed as
people of genuine personal worth and upright, honorable lives.

JOHN R. MOORE.

John R. Moore is proprietor of a cafe in Upper Sandusky.
He started out in the business world in the employ of others
but gradually earned the capital that enabled him to engage
in business on his own accomit. He is yet a young man and
there are perhaps many years before him in which to add to
the success that he has already achieved. He was born in
New Lexington, Ohio, May 20, 1884, a son of Jacob R. and
Elizabeth (Flower) Moore. The father was born in Ohio
and for many years was proprietor of a grocery store,
conducting a good business. His wife was born in this state
and both are still living, making their home with their
son John. They have three children: Edna, George W., and
John R. The daughter is the wife of Joseph Kimmich, a shoe
merchant of Toledo, Ohio, and they have two children, Donald
and Pauline. George W. Moore, proprietor of a saloon in
Marion, Ohio, wedded Helen Duggan, and they have two
children, Paul and Frank.

98

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

During the youthful days of John R. Moore the family
lived in Lima, Ohio, where he attended the public schools to
the age of eighteen years. He then began earning his own
living and for five years worked as a cigar maker. During
that period he carefully saved his earnings until his capital
was sufficient to enable him to engage in business for himself
as proprietor of a grocery store in Port Clinton, Ohio, where
he remained for four years. He then sold out and returned to
Lima, where he became connected with the wholesale liquor
trade as a clerk. He then went to Upper Sandusky as man-
ager of the business there conducted by the Lima firm and in
1911 he bought out the branch of the business in this city and
has since been its proprietor. He has become well known
here and has a liberal patronage which is making his enter-
prise a profitable one.

On the 10th of July, 1905, in Lima, Ohio, Mr. Moore was
united in marriage to Miss Anna Shocky, a daughter of John
W. and Ella (Church) Shocky, the former for many years pro-
prietor of a grocery store in Lima. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have
become the parents of three children, two sons and a daughter ;
Harold, Beatrice and Louis. The family attend and liberally
support the Catholic church. Mr. Moore was for five years a
member of the Ohio National Guard, belonging to Company
K of the Second Regiment. His fraternal relations are with
the Eagles and Elks, and his political support is given the
democracy, with which political organization he has been
identified since age conferred upon him the right of franchise.

DELEVAN MILLER.

Delevan Miller may well be proud of the work he has
accomplished and is still accomplishing as mayor of Nevada,
for it is constructive and progressive in character and always
directed with a view to the best interests of the community.
His life record should serve as an encouragement and inspira-
tion to others for he started out in life as a day laborer and by
courage, steadfast purpose and indefatigable activity worked
his way upward to success. He was born in Lancaster, Keo-
kuk county, Iowa, November 11, 1858, and is a son of Thomas
and Eliza J. (McGarry) Miller, the former a native of Beaver

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

99

county, Pennsylvania, born February 25, 1832, and the latter
of Wayne county, Ohio, born in 1834. The father was a
veteran of the Civil war, having served for four years as a
member of the Third Ohio Cavalry, and after the close of hos-
tilities returned to Wyandot county, where he followed his
trade of harness-making for live years. He subsequently was
engaged in the grocery business in Nevada until 1894, when he
retired. He died in 1898 and was survived by his wife until
1906. In this family were seven children, Chester M., Dele-
van, Laura A., Lovie M., Charles P., James E., and a child,
who died in infancy.

Delevan Miller acquired his education in the public schools
of Wyandot county and laid aside his books at the age of
eighteen. He began his independent career as a day laborer
and in this capacity worked until 1879. He was from 1882 to
1885 a clerk in a grocery store in Nevada and he afterward
formed a partnership with Mr. Keltner and purchased the
business, which they continued to conduct together until 1888,
when Mr. Miller purchased his partner’s interests. He man-
aged the enterprise alone until 1891, when his father joined
him in its conduct, the firm being known as T. P. Miller &
Son. They built up a profitable business, their association
continuing until Mr. Miller’s brother, Charles P., purchased
the father ’s share and the enterprise was continued under the
name of Miller Brothers. They controlled one of the most
important retail grocery concerns in the city and were
a’ccorded a liberal patronage because their business standards
were always progressive, their methods upright and straight-
forward and their prices reasonable. Mr. Miller, of this
review, continued his connection with the business until 1902,
when, having acquired a comfortable fortune, he retired from
active business life. He owns an attractive home in Nevada,
a half interest in a four and one-half acre tract of city property
and has valuable outside real-estate holdings, owning fifty-
five acres on section 15, Antrim township.

For a number of years past Mr. Miller has taken a deep
interest in public affairs and, always representing the demo-r
cratic party, has held various important public offices, the
duties of which he has discharged in a competent and able
manner. He was for two terms a member of the Nevada
council, for one term clerk of the village and in 1911 was
elected mayor. He has given to the people of the community

100

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

a progressive, efficient and straightforward administration
which has been honorable in its standards, modern in its
policies and businesslike in all its details. Mr. Miller has
proved an able executive, as the excellent results which have
attended his political activities so plainly testify.

On the 17th of September, 1890, in Nevada, Mr. Miller was
united in marriage to Miss Mary M. Klingler, a daughter of
J. M. and Elizabeth (Dinkle) Klingler, the former a well
known shoemaker in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Miller reared
a boy, J. D. Lee, who is at present a traveling salesman. He
married Miss May E. White, of Nevada.

Fraternally Mr. Miller is identified with the Masonic order
and the Order of the Eastern Star. His wife is very promi-
nent in the work of the Woman’s Christian Temperance
Union. They are members of the Methodist church and Mr.
Miller serves as trustee and as assistant teacher of a Sunday
school class, which meets once a month. He is a man of
exemplary character and in all lines of activity in the city,
whether social, business, religious or political, his influence
has been a powerful factor for good.

GENERAL ISAAC MINER KIRBY.

It has often been said, and truthfully so, that the old soldier
makes the best citizen. The long period of strife taught him to
love his country as nothing else could do and the spirit of loy-
alty which prompted his enlistment and his sturdy defense of
the flag has remained one of the salient features of his life.
Honored and respected by all, there is no one who more justly
merits the confidence and good-will of his fellow townsmen
than does General Isaac M. Kirby, who wore the nation’s
blue uniform from 1861 until 1865, and who through days of
peace has ranked with the valued and enterprising citizens of
Upper Sandusky.

He is a representative of an old and prominent family.
His paternal grandparents were Obadiah and Ruth (Hen-
drick) Kirby, who were of English and Holland descent, and
natives of Virginia, in which state the former had a large plan-
tation and owned many slaves. At his death, which occurred
when he was about fifty years of age, his widow, who was a

GENERAL ISAAC M. KIRBY

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

103

Quakeress, emancipated her slaves and removed to Ohio with
her sons. Her eldest son, Samuel Kirby, was captain of a
Virginia company in the War of 1812, and was killed during
the service. John Kirby, became a farmer and died in middle
age in Wyandot county, and Pleasant Kirby died in Kansas.
Moses Kirby, father of General Kirby, and twin brother of Dr.
Jacob Kirby, was born in Halifax county, Virginia, in 1798,
and was reared on the old homestead there but pursued his
education at Chapel Hill, Korth Carolina, where he was a
schoolmate of James K. Polk, who in 1845 became president
of the United States. Before her son Moses Kirby has com-
pleted his education, his mother had removed from Virginia
to Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, where he later joined her
and took up the study of law in the office and under the direc-
tion of Richard Collins. His thorough preliminary reading
secured him admission to the bar when he was about twenty-
two years of age, after which he entered upon active profes-
sional duties in Hillsboro. He was not long in winning a good
clientage and at the same time rose to prominence along politi-
cal lines. He was chosen to represent Highland county in the
state legislature and was appointed to the office of secretary
of state in 1832. He then went to Columbus, Ohio, and in ad-
dition to his official duties engaged in the active practice of
law until 1841. In that year he took up his abode in the vil-
lage of Wyandot, Ohio, but in 1843 removed to Upper San-
dusky, where again, as in his former places of residence, he
soon won an enviable reputation as a distinguished practi-
tioner before the courts. He came to Upper Sandusky, how-
ever, in the capacity of Indian agent and receiver for the land
office, in which he remained until 1845. Being a whig in poli-
tics and the democratic party then coming into power, he re-
tired. He thereupon resumed the practice of law and held offi-
cial position in that connection, serving as prosecuting attor-
ney for several years and later as judge of the probate court
for several terms. He was one who maintained the prize of
keen mentality to the last and when eighty-two years of age
was sent to the state senate — just sixty years after he had
been a member of the legislature. He served in the upper
house for two terms and his splendid record was a fit crown to
a life of unusual activity, usefulness and honor. His early
political allegiance was given to the whig party and on its
dissolution he became a republican but during the presidency

Voi. n— r

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

of Andrew Johnson, allied himself with democratic ranks.
He served as a delegate to the first presidential convention
of the republican party and throughout his life he never hesi-
tated in his support of a principle in which he believed. He
was an eloquent speaker, endowed by nature with splendid
oratorical gifts and was ever keen and ready in debate. In
1840 he entered actively in the campaign in support of W. H.
Harrison for the presidency.

In the year in which he attained his majority, Moses Kirby
was made a Mason in North Carolina and was probably the
oldest representative of the craft in Ohio at the time of his
death, which occurred in 1897. Nature had endowed him with
brilliant powers and he retained possession of all his mental
faculties until after he had become a nonagenarian. He was
always loyal to the teachings of the Masonic fraternity and
while he never united with the church, was a true Christian
at heart, his life being without a stain. His generosity
amounted almost to a fault, for he would give his last dollar
to any one who might ask for it.

Moses Kirby was a twin brother of Dr. Jacob Kirby. Both
sons came to Ohio with their widowed mother and the Doctor
gained an extensive practice in Hillsboro, where he followed
his profession for about sixty years. He was characterized
by the same spirit of generosity noted in his brother and was
never known to make a charge on his books nor ask for the
payment of even a dollar from a patient. When it was known
that no pecuniary reward might be expected he gave his serv-
ices as cheerfully as when he would be well requited finan-
cially. When he passed away at the age of eighty years the
ladies of the town erected a monument to his memory.

Moses H. Kirby was united in marriage to Emma Miner,
who was a native of Ohio, probably born in Franklin county,
and a daughter of Judge Isaac Miner, who was born in the
state of New York. He was of English descent and traced his
ancestry in America back to Thomas Miner, who was one of
the Pilgrim fathers. Judge Miner came to Ohio in pioneer
times, purchased a large tract of land near the site of the
future city of Columbus and became a prominent and influen-
tial resident of the state, serving at one time as one of the
canal commissioners. He died when about fifty years of age.
His daughter Emma, who became Mrs. Moses Kirby, was
reared near the site of Columbus and died in 1850, when forty-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

105

two years of age, leaving five children : Isaac M., of this re-
view; Emma, the deceased wife of Curtis Berry, of Upper
Sandusky; Thomas and George, twins, the former serving as
a private in a Kansas regiment during the rebellion, and dying
in 1899 when fifty-nine years of age, while the latter served
in the Civil war as a member of the Fifteenth Regiment, Ohio
Infantry, and died in a military hospital at Louisville, Ken-
tucky, in December, 1861; and Anna, who died in 1870, near
Vicksburg, while making a trip on the Mississippi river.

General Kirby, whose name introduces this review, was
born in Columbus, February 10, 1835, and when eight years
of age was taken to Upper Sandusky, where he attended the
public schools until the year 1845. He was afterward a stu-
dent in the old Hillsboro Academy until the fall of 1850, when,
following the death of his mother, to whom he was most de-
voted, he returned to Upper Sandusky. He was himself in
ill health until the spring of 1852, at which time he became a
member of a civil engineering corps employed in the survey
on the Pittsburg railway. At the time of the outbreak of the
Civil war he had charge of the construction of the railway
west of Havana to Pino del Rio, Cuba, but relinquished this
contract and hastened home to join the Union army. He ar-
rived in Ohio on a Monday of April, 1861, and on the follow-
ing Saturday was enrolled among the boys in blue of Com-
pany I, Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Before the com-
pany had left the state he was promoted to the rank of captain
and with his regiment was sent to West Virginia. The enlist-
ment had been for the first three months’ term and on its ex-
piration the regiment was reorganized for three years, Cap-
tain Kirby’s company becoming then known as Company
D. While he was in command thereof his brother George
was with him. The Fifteenth Regiment was assigned to the
Army of the Cumberland and after the battle of Shiloh under
General Buell, Captain Kirby returned home and assisted
in organizing the One Hundred and First Ohio Regiment, in
which he was appointed to the command of Company F, in
July, 1862. He was promoted to the rank of major just be-
fore the engagement at Stone River in December of that year .
and on the first day of that hotly contested battle, the colonel
and the lieutenant colonel of the regiment were killed and
Major Kirby was placed in command. Soon after the engage-
ment he was promoted to the rank of colonel and was in com-

106

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

mand of the brigade at the opening of the campaign in 1864,
when, in December of that year, he was made a brigadier gen-
eral at Nashville, which rank he held until the close of the
war. He fought in all the battles in which his regiment had a
part and was several times wounded, sustaining five wounds
in one day at Kenesaw Mountain, but he never missed a day
from duty because of wounds or because of illness, and with
a most creditable military record returned home after receiv-
ing his honorable discharge on the 15th of June, 1865. His
bravery was unquestioned and his loyalty, courage and merit
won him his promotions.

When the war was over General Kirby returned to civil
life at Upper Sandusky and for twenty years thereafter was a
prominent figure in commercial circles as proprietor of a hard-
ware store. In the conduct of the business he held to the
highest standards of commercial ethics and his integrity was
never called into question, while his enterprise, careful man-
agement and determination brought him well merited and
well earned success.

At Newark, Ohio, on the 6th of June, 1867, General Kirby
was united in marriage to Miss Anna White, a native of Ohio,
and the highly accomplished daughter of Rev. John W. White,
a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. The marriage
of General and Mrs. Kirby has been blessed with four chil-
dren, but the eldest, John W., died at the age of nineteen
years. Mary E. and Anna C. are at home, while Thomas M.,
the youngest of the family, is practicing law at Cleveland,
Ohio.

When age conferred upon General Kirby the right of fran-
chise he joined the newly organized republican party and has
never wavered in his allegiance thereto, yet has been entirely
without ambition for public office, supporting his party as a
matter of principle rather than with desire for the rewards
it might bestow. He belongs to the Masonic lodge at Upper
Sandusky and Robbins Post, No. 90, G. A. R., which he joined
on its organization. He has served as commander of the post
and he is justly proud of the little bronze button which he
. wears, indicating his connection with the organization which
preserved the Union in the darkest hours of the country’s
history. For a number of years he has lived retired, yet his
interest in his country and her welfare never ceases and in
spirit he seems a much younger man. He has, however,

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

107

passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life’s journey to an old
age that gives out of its rich stores of wisdom and experience
for the benefit of others — such is the achievement of General
Kirby, one of Upper Sandusky’s most highly honored and
esteemed citizens.

edward e. McLaughlin

Edward E. McLaughlin, well known in business circles of
Nevada as a successful dealer in grain, was born in this city,
October 18, 1870. He is a son of Cornelius and Lucinda
(Young) McLaughlin, the former of whom was born in Ohio
in 1834 and the latter in 1845. The father, who is a carpenter
by trade, makes his home in Nevada, having survived his wife
since 1912. In their family were eight children. Hallie 0.,
a brick mason in Nevada, married Miss Alice Disetor and they
have two children, Louis and Lester. Charles L., who is
engaged in farming in Eden township, married Miss Bertha
Poole and they have two children, Francis and Ruth. Orrie
L. died in 1906. Edward E. is the subject of this review.
Mattie is the wife of Fred Shealy, a pattern maker in Lima,
and they have two children, Donna and Carleton. Vergil C.,
a cabinet-maker, married Miss Marion Welty. Jesse is a
carpenter by trade. Irma, who completes the family, is the
wife of Edward D. White, a farmer of Valpariso, Indiana, and
they have a son, William C.

Edward E. McLaughlin acquired his education in the
public schools of Nevada, attending until he was sixteen years
of age, after which he worked upon a farm for four years. At
the end of that time he turned his attention to business pur-
suits, becoming connected with the line of work, which now
engages his attention, as assistant to Mr. Balliet. He worked
in this capacity for nine years and then in 1902 purchased the
elevator, which he has since successfully conducted. It has a
capacity of fifteen thousand bushels of grain and Mr.
McLaughlin handles an average of one hundred cars per year.
His trade has steadily increased until it has now reached
extensive proportions, this being largely due to his progres-
sive and reliable business methods. In addition to his ele-

108

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

vator he is the proprietor of the only moving picture theater
in Nevada and has found this a very profitable investment.

On the 17th of October, 1906, Mr. McLaughlin married
Miss Luella K. Gordon, a daughter of John and Caroline
(Fleck) Gordon, the former of whom is engaged in farming.
Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin have two children, Velma K. and
Gordon G. Mr. McLaughlin gives his allegiance to the repub-
lican party and for two years did able and effective work on
the city council. He is prominent and well known in business,
political and social circles, and is regarded as one of the lead-
ing citizens of his native community.

FINFUN A. FOWLER.

Finfun A. Fowler, a successful farmer and stock-raiser,
was born on a portion of the farm he now operates in Pitt
township, August 25, 1877, a son of Hiram R. and Alice E.
(Hornby) Fowler. The father was born in Little Sandusky in
1852 and spent all of his active life engaged in farming. He
owned five hundred and eighty acres of land in Pitt township,
which he operated successfully until his death in 1905. The
mother was born in Marion county, Ohio, in 1857, and survives
her husband, making her home in Little Sandusky with her
son, Ralph. In this family were two children: Finfun A.,
and Ralph N., a farmer in Little Sandusky. He married Miss
Frances Monte and they have three children, Nova, Hiram
and Max.

Mr. Fowler of this review was reared on the home farm
and acquired his education in the district schools. He was
trained to the various duties of the agriculturist and has been
identified with farming throughout his active business career.
Upon the death of the father the homestead was divided
between Mr. Fowler and his brother Ralph, our subject receiv-
ing as his share three hundred and forty-eight acres, of which
he is still the owner. In addition to raising grain Mr. Fowler
also breeds high-grade stock and has at present seventy-five
head of cattle, eight hundred sheep and two hundred Chester
White hogs, of which he makes a specialty. This branch of
his business is proving very profitable to him and his work
along this line is ably supplemented by that of his wife, who is

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

109

interested in raising full-breed Rhode Island Red chickens,
of which she has about three hundred at the present time.

On October 22, 1902, Mr. Fowler was united in marriage to
Miss Grace A. Wood, a daughter of Reuben and Leafy (Mc-
Lain) Wood, the former a prominent farmer. Mr. and Mrs.
Fowler have two children, Charles Rush and Leafy Alice.
Mr. Fowler attends the Methodist church, in which his wife
holds membership, and politically is identified with the repub-
lican party. He is interested in community affairs and partic-
ularly in the cause of education, which he has served ably for
five years as president of the school board. He has many
friends in Wyandot county, among whom he is highly
esteemed and respected.

EMERY X. GLOSSER.

Emery X. Glosser, well and favorably known in business
circles of Upper Sandusky as a partner in the firm of Glosser
& Brown, dealers in groceries, was born in Eden township,
Wyandot county, September 16, 1876. He is a son of Henry
and Jennie (Link) Glosser, natives of Ohio, the father born
in 1842 and the mother in 1844. For many years Henry
Glosser engaged in general agricultural pursuits but at the
present time is living retired in Upper Sandusky. He and his
wife became the parents of three children: Albert, a farmer
in Eden township, who married Miss Minnie Bell, by whom he
has two children, Mona and Leta; Luella, who married James
Caldwell, a railroad mail clerk in Eden township, by whom
she has five children, Roland, Marian, Jeanette, Gale and
Henry; and Emery X., of this review.

The last named acquired his education in the district
schools of Eden township, attending until he was twenty-one
years of age. During his youth he helped his father with the
work of the farm and remained at home until two years after
attaining his majority. At the end of that time he engaged
as a farm laborer, working by the month, and when he aban-
doned this occupation came to Upper Sandusky, where for ten
years he worked in a tile manufacturing plant. In August,
1912, however, he determined to engage in business for himself
and accordingly formed a partnership with Miner Brown in

.110

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the conduct of a retail grocery enterprise. They carry a well
selected stock of staple and fancy groceries, valued at two
thousand dollars, and receive a liberal patronage, which is
indicative of the honorable and straightforward policy of
the firm.

On the 26th of October, 1899, Mr. Glosser married, in
Upper Sandusky, Miss Lelah Evans, a daughter of Jacob and
Anna Evans, the former a laborer in Eden township. Mr.
and Mrs. Glosser have two children, James V. and Laura A.
Mr. Glosser gives his allegiance to the democratic party but
has never sought public office, preferring to give his time and
attention to his business affairs, which are capably conducted,
making him one of the leading and successful merchants of
the town.

DAVID C. PARKER.

The life record of David C. Parker has direct connection
with a profession which has important bearing upon the
progress and stable prosperity of the community by safe-
guarding the ends of justice and maintaining individual
rights. It is a well recognized fact that in his chosen profes-
sion of the law Mr. Parker is well trained, that his prepara-
tion of cases is careful and exhaustive and that his presenta-
tion of his cause is clear, logical and convincing. He there-
fore ranks with the leading members of the Wyandot county
bar, nor is his reputation confined within the borders of the
county. He was born in this county, August 22, 1858, in Ridge
township, a son of David and Hannah E. Parker. The former
was born in Otsego county, New; York, in 1814, and the
mother’s birth occurred in Albany county, that state, in 1812.
Mr. Parker was a farmer by occupation and followed that pur-
suit in New York until about 1850, when he came to Ohio,
settling on a farm in Wyandot county. In the family were
twelve children, of whom David C. Parker is the youngest.
There are three other surviving members of the family — a
brother, Sherman Parker, and two sisters, Mrs. Hulda E.
Weaver and Mrs. Mary A. Van Horn.

It was upon the old homestead that David C. Parker spent
the days of his boyhood and youth, dividing his time between

DAVID C. PARKER

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

113

the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground
and, the work of the fields. His early education was acquired
in the public schools and then, not wishing to follow the occu-
pation to which he had been reared, as a life work, he turned
to the professions and made preparation for the practice of
law as a student in the law department of the University of
Michigan, at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated in
1885. The following year he was admitted to the bar of Ohio
and has since been practicing in Upper Sandusky. As the
years have gone by he has won a large clientele and has been
connected with much of the most important litigation tried in
the courts of this district. His success was assured because
of his laudable ambition, his firm purpose and his willingness
to work. Industry is just as essential in any of the so-called
learned professions as it is in mechanical and commercial
lines and it is well known that Mr. Parker has never failed
to give a thorough preparation, thus qualifying for any emer-
gency expected or unexpected that might occur in the trial of
his cause. He is today justly accounted one of the leading
members of the bar of Upper Sandusky.

Aside from his professional duties, which have been im-
portant and extensive, Mr. Parker assisted in organizing the
Commercial National Bank of Upper Sandusky, and was
elected one of its first directors. He is now one of the stock-
holders and directors of the First National Bank, resigning as
a director of the Commercial National in order to be elected
director of the former.

In November, 1886, was celebrated the marriage of Mr.
Parker and Miss Allie Smith, the wedding ceremony being
performed at the home of her parents in Ridge township. She
was an only daughter of Samuel and Margaret Smith. Her
father was a pioneer 'settler of this state and a Virginian by
birth. He was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, October
1, 1816, and in early life removed thence to Wyandot county,
becoming one of the pioneer settlers here. His wife, Mrs.
Margaret Smith, was born in Wayne county, Ohio, December
14, 1826, and passed away on the 9th of September, 1887. In
their family were three sons: Milton B., who is now engaged
in the practice of law in Carey, Ohio ; Jacob A., a real-estate
dealer of the city; and Samuel 0., a farmer. The only daugh-
ter, Allie, was born in Ridge township, Wyandot county, in
1858, and after mastering the branches of learning taught
in the public schools of the county, continued her education

114

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

in Findlay, Ohio. She remained at home to the time of her mar-
riage and on the 9th of November, 1886, she became the wife
of David C. Parker. Their unioil has been blessed with two
children: Mary B., who is a graduate of the public schools of
Upper Sandusky, and three years ago entered Ohio Wesleyan
University at Delaware, Ohio; and Dorothy M., who is a pub-
lic-school student. The parents are faithful and consistent
members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Ujiper San-
dusky, and Mr. Parker holds membership with the Masons
and the Red Men. He is identified with the Chamber of Com-
merce and is in hearty sympathy with its plans and purposes
to promote the welfare and upbuilding of the city along many
lines. In politics he is independent and never seeks office,
preferring to concentrate his energies and his attention upon
his professional and financial interests. Both he and his wife
are widely known in Wyandot county and the circle of their
friends is almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaint-
ances, for their attractive qualities have gained for them the
warm regard and good-will of those with whom they have
come in contact.

JOSEPH ALBERT WILLIAMS.

Through successive stages of progress and advancement
Joseph Albert Williams has worked his way upward in the
banking world until he is today cashier of the Nevada Deposit
Bank, an important position which has come to him in recogni-
tion of merit and of unusual ability as a financier. He was
born in Blooming Grove, Morrow county, Ohio, November 6,
1863, and is a son of Christie and Amy Ann (Bachman) Wil-
liams, the former born in Millsborough, Richland county,
March 24, 1831, and the latter in Pennsylvania, August 20,
1838. The father, who was a merchant by occupation, died
in Blooming Grove, December 6, 1898, and is survived by his
wife and a daughter, Seppie S., who make their home in
that city.

Joseph A. Williams attended district school until he was
eighteen years of age and then went for one year to the Nevada
high school. After laying aside his books he turned his atten-
tion to teaching and followed this occupation in the district

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

115

schools for one year. The banking business had, however,
always attracted him and he was very desirous of making it
his life work. In order to accomplish his end he agreed to
work as a clerk in the Nevada Deposit Bank for one year
without pay. His services, however, proved so valuable that
within a few months the contract was set aside and a lucrative
position given to him. He has since advanced step by step,
assuming new responsibilities every year and proving himself
eminently well qualified to discharge his duties. He once had
entire charge of the institution for two years and he is now
cashier. He is regarded as an able, discriminating and far-
sighted financier and a great deal of the success of the institu-
tion with which he is connected is due to his well directed
labors. He is a stockholder in the bank and also in the First
National Bank at Upper Sandusky. He is a member of the
American and State Bankers ’ Association, the Private Bank-
ers ’ Association, and stands as a central figure in banking
circles of this part of Ohio having filled responsible positions
in the work of state associations.

On the 1st of January, 1885, Mr. Williams married Miss
Nina Lee Agnew, a daughter of James K. and Jennie (Bibler)
Agnew, of Nevada. The father is a well known banker and
served through two enlistments in the Civil war. Mr. and
Mrs. Williams became the parents of four children, one of
whom died in infancy. The others are Grace Louise, Jean-
nette Agnew and Miles Stanley.

Mr. Williams and family are members of the Methodist
church, and fraternally he is connected with the Masonic order
and the Knights of Pythias. He gives his political allegiance
to the republican party and has always been prominent in
public affairs, serving two years as president of the school
board and four as a member of that organization. He has
been treasurer of Antrim township and treasurer of the village
of Nevada, holding the latter office for twelve years, and he
was for three terms a member of the town council, two years
of which time he served as president. Mr. Williams is also
a notary public, and as such is widely known, having very
recently served in this capacity under commissions from the
states of Colorado, Kansas and Pennsylvania. His interest
in public affairs is of a most practical character, manifest by
active cooperation in measures calculated to promote the
public good. He is not only one of the distinctly successful

116

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

men of the community but is also the possessor of a forceful
character which makes him a leading figure in community
affairs as well as in business circles.

EDWARD C. RICHMOND.

Edward C. Richmond is one of the progressive business
men of Harpster, where he is conducting one of the largest
general merchandise stores, which he recently purchased from
Wood & Company. He is a native of Little Sandusky, born
July 6, 1872. His parents are Joseph and Hannah (Sill)
Richmond, the former born in Marion, July 15, 1842, and the
latter in Pennsylvania, in 1836. For many years the father
followed farming but retired from active life in 1907 and now
makes his home in Little Sandusky. In this family were two
children: Edward C., of this review; and Grace V., who

married Daniel Reynolds, clerk of the courts of Wyandot
county. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds have one daughter, Helen.

Edward C. Richmond attended the public schools of Little
Sandusky until he was twenty-two years of age and then
worked upon a farm until 1900, when he went to Toledo as
clerk in a grocery store. He held that position for three
years, returning at the end of that time to Little Sandusky,
where he opened a grocery store, putting in one year later a
stock of general merchandise valued at two thousand dollars.
He developed a large and rapidly increasing business, receiv-
ing a good patronage from the best people of the city. Re-
cently he sold out in Little Sandusky and acquired the Wood
& Company’s interests in Harpster. He is careful in the
selection of his stock, for he has studied the desires of the
public in this direction, and in his sales he seeks only to make
a fair and legitimate profit. His commercial integrity is
unassailable and public opinion is altogether favorable regard-
ing his attributes and actions as a business man.

On the 1st of September, 1904, Mr. Richmond married, at
Upper Sandusky, Miss Ida Shorb, a daughter of John and
Hattie Shorb, the former a well known farmer of Pitt town-
ship. Mr. and Mrs. Richmond have one daughter, Florence
Maxine. Mr. Richmond is a devout member of the Methodist
Episcopal church and fraternally he is connected with the

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

117

Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His
political allegiance is given to the democratic party and he has
served his fellow citizens as a member and treasurer of the
school board and has also held the important position of a
member of the executive committee of Wyandot county for
many years. He occupies a prominent position in business
circles of Harpster, standing among the progressive and suc-
cessful men of the city. His well developed powers and broad
experience, combined with his determination and enterprise*
have led him to put forth persistent effort in making his way
steadily upward, and in this manner he has gained success.

ELMER DUBBS KUENZLI.

Elmer Dubbs Kuenzli, one of the progressive and enter-
prising young men of Nevada, is engaged in the hardware
business, as head clerk of the concern known as Kuenzli
Brothers. He wTas born in Eden township, March 15, 1880,
and is a son of Frederick and Josephine (Hochstetter)
Kuenzli, natives of Holmes county, the father born in 1845.
He engaged in farming during his active life, passing away in
1898. He was survived by his wife, who died in 1906. In
their family were ten children. The two eldest, Clara and
Fred, died in infancy. Sophia married E. G. Blaser, a tile
manufacturer of Upper Sandusky, and they became the par-
ents of two children, Esther and Fred. Edward S. is engaged
in the hardware business and is also active as a tile manu-
facturer in Nevada. He married Victoria Neat and has four
children, Alice, Edith, Lester and Irvin. Henry L. is a tile
manufacturer and hardware merchant. His wife was in her
maidenhood Viola Sigler, and they have two children, Ruth
and Thaddeus. Charles C. has been twice married. He
wedded first Miss May Kaufman, who has passed away, leav-
ing two children, Terrence and Robert. After the death of
his first wife he married Esther Songer by whom he has two
children. He is now connected with the Springfield (Ohio)
Theological Institute and engaged in educational work. John
W. passed away at the age of forty years. Grace became the
wife of W. G. Milligan, a farmer in Eden township, and they
have four children. William is engaged in farming. He

118

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

married Miss Myrtle Cross and has six children. Elmer D.
is the youngest child in the family and the subject of this
review.

The last named was reared in Eden township and acquired
his education in the district schools, which he attended until
he was eighteen years of age. After laying aside his books
he worked for two years in a tile factory, but at the end of
that time became head clerk of his uncle ’s hardware business
in Nevada, a connection in which he is proving his energy,
progressiveness and business acumen. He has secured an
extensive and representative patronage, which is accorded in
recognition of his honorable and straightforward business
methods and his reasonable prices. He owns his own resi-
dence and two valuable vacant lots.

In Nevada, on the 6th of March, 1903, Mr. Kuenzli married
Miss Grace Boulby, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Boul-
by, the former a farmer in Crane township. Mr. and Mrs.
Kuenzli have five children, Homer A., Earl F., Curtis B., Eva
L. and Hubert D. Mr. Kuenzli is a member of the English
Lutheran church and fraternally is connected with the
Knights of Pythias. He gives his political allegiance to the
republican party, having served as treasurer of Nevada for
six years, as treasurer of Antrim township for four years and
as a member of the town council, displaying in the discharge
of his official duties the same energy, determination and pro-
gressive spirit which have marked the activities of his busi-
ness career.

EDGAR D. HOLL.

Edgar D. Holl, proprietor of a large up-to-date creamery
in Upper Sandusky, is one of the most deservedly successful
and progressive business men of the city, basing his pros-
perity upon a thorough knowledge of everything relating to
sanitary operation and to modern methods of butter making.
He was born in New Berlin, Ohio, March 1, 1879, and is a son
of Clayton and Samantha (Hess) Holl, the former a native of
New Berlin, born in 1848, and the latter of Greentown, Ohio,
born in 1853. The father is today one of the most prominent
and representative agriculturists of his native section. He

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

119

and his wife became the parents of eight children: Jennie,
who married Albert Miller, a laborer in Akron, Ohio ;
Laura, who became the wife of Joel Shutt, a farmer in Michi-
gan, by whom she has six children; Edgar L>., of this review;
Minetta, who married Cleon Weaver, a bookkeeper in Canton,
Ohio, by whom she has one child ; Luella, who died at the age
of twenty-five ; Homer, who is a farmer in Middlebranch, Ohio,
and who married Margaret Lind ; and Albert and Zelmar, who
live at home.

Edgar D. Holl acquired his early education in the district
and high schools of New Berlin, graduating from the latter
institution in 1899. Afterward he taught school for two years
in Stark county and then entered the Ohio State University at
Columbus, graduating from the agricultural department in
1906. He spent nine months thereafter as foreman of the
pur e-milk department in Belief ontaine, Ohio, and six months
in the same position with the Polk Sanitary Milk Company of
Indianapolis. With this experience and special training as a
foundation for success he came to Upper Sandusky and in 1908
established the creamery which he conducts today. He also
deals in eggs and has made both branches of his business
extremely lucrative. He owns a large creamery, up-to-date
and sanitary in every particular and equipped with the most
modern machinery, and he has secured a most liberal and
representative patronage, which is accorded him in recogni-
tion of the high quality of his goods and his straightforward
business methods. In addition he owns some valuable prop-
erty in Upper Sandusky, including his fine residence and
several town lots.

On the 22d of October, 1908, Mr. Holl was united in mar-
riage, at Poplar, Ohio, to Miss Florence McLaughlin, a daugh-
ter of Frank and Minnie (Stetzer) McLaughlin, the former for
twenty years in the railroad service and later foreman of the
Sycamore Milling Company at Sycamore. Mr. and Mrs. Holl
became the parents of two children, Gayle M. and Maurice F.

Mr. Holl gives his allegiance to the democratic party and
his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the
Methodist church. He is a member of Champion Grange of
Wyandot county. He well deserves his present prosperity
but gives great credit for what he has achieved to the able and
efficient help and the wise counsel of his wife, who is a lady
of rare qualities, highly accomplished, yet acute and intui-

120

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

tively correct in judging business situations, — who has ever
industriously sustained him in all his important transactions
and labors. The methods he has employed are such as will
bear the closest investigation, and his success has come to
him through his energy and well directed labor. He is a man
of practical ideas and is not only interested in the welfare of
his community but takes an active part in the support of all
measures and projects which tend to promote it.

IRA R. PONTIUS.

The lines of activity which constitute the life record of Ira
R. Pontius are many and his efforts for progress are far-
reaching and resultant. He occupies a leading position in
financial circles in Upper Sandusky and is equally well known
in political and fraternal connections. In fact he stands for
improvement in all those fields which are of vital force in the
world’s work. He was born July 20, 1874, on a farm five miles
southeast of Upper Sandusky, in Pitt township, Wyandot
county, Ohio, his parents being Adam and Elizabeth Van
Buren (Winstead) Pontius. His great-grandfather in the
paternal line was George Pontius, a native of Germany, who
after living for a time in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania,
removed to Ohio. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary
war as did Griffin Winstead, the great-grandfather in the
maternal line. The latter was a native of England, who on
coming to the United States settled in Northumberland
county, Virginia, and thence removed to Ohio. Samuel Pon-
tius and William Winstead, the grandfathers of Ira R. Pon-
tius, were residents of Pickaway county, Ohio, and both served
in the War of 1812 under General William Henry Harrison,
being encamped at one time during the struggle on the present
site of Upper Sandusky. Samuel Pontius was a fife major.
His son, Adam Pontius, spent his youthful days in Pickaway
county, and in 1860 removed to Pitt township, Wyandot
county, taking up his abode upon a farm, where the birth of
his son Ira occurred. He continuously carried on general agri-
cultural pursuits there until 1882, when he removed to Upper
Sandusky and established a hardware store, which he con-
ducted in connection with General I. M. Kirby. That partner-

IRA R. PONTIUS

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

123

ship was maintained for six years, at the end of which time
General Kirby retired, selling his interest to C. D. Juvenal,
who was a partner of Mr. Pontius for four years. The busi-
ness was thereafter conducted under the name of Adam Pon-
tius & Son until 1907, although in the meantime the father
had passed away, his death having occurred on the 4th of Jan-
uary, 1903. He was at one time sheriff of Wyandot county
from January 1, 1896, until January 1, 1900, and made a most
creditable record by reason of his loyalty, promptness and
fidelity. His widow survived him for more than five years,
dying on the 21st of October, 1908. Their children were nine
in number, the brothers and sisters of Ira R. Pontius being:
William H., a distinguished musician of Minneapolis, Minne-
sota, who was educated at Florence, Italy, and other Euro-
pean cities; Samuel F. of Upper Sandusky; Hr. George A.
Pontius, who practiced osteopathy at Lockport, New York,
but is now deceased; David W., traffic manager of the Pacific
Electric Railway, at Los Angeles, California; Mary C., the
wife of R. F. Alspach, of Columbus, Ohio ; Ella P., the wife of
Dr. A. J. Kesler, of Fort Wayne, Indiana ; Evalyn P., the wife
of Edwin Billhardt, of Upper Sandusky; and Ida P., the wife
of Henry Katzenmeyer, of Hillsdale, Michigan.

Ira R. Pontius was a lad of seven years when the family
left the farm and took up their abode in Upper Sandusky,
where he pursued his early education as a public-school stu-
dent, while later he attended college in Mansfield, Ohio. He
was twenty-one years of age, when in 1896, he entered the
sheriff’s office, serving as a deputy for six years. On the ex-
piration of that period, in 1902, he joined his father in the
hardware business, under the firm style of Adam Pontius &
Son, and was in active connection with the trade until 1907,
when he turned from commercial pursuits to banking, becom-
ing one of the promoters and incorporators of the Citizens
Savings Bank of Upper Sandusky, of which he has continu-
ously served as cashier. The bank was capitalized for fifty
thousand dollars and now has a surplus of ten thousand with
deposits of more than three hundred thousand. The bank has
enjoyed a rapid and healthy growth and is doing a fine busi-
ness. It is one of the strong and substantial financial institu-
tions of the county, having always followed a safe, conserva-
tive policy that has, however, never blocked progress nor im-
peded the continuous expansion of the bank.

Vol. II— 7

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Pontius has been married twice. On the 6th of August,
1902, he wedded Miss Claudia M. Hitchcock, of Troy, Ohio,
who passed away March 24, 1905. On the 9th of June, 1908,
he married Miss Margaret J. Mundy, a daughter of John E.
and Katherine A. Mundy, of New York city. Before her mar-
riage she was connected with the Mileage Bureau of New York
city and later with the jewTelry house of N. J. Felix, of Maiden
Lane, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Pontius have one child, Mar-
garet Elizabeth, born December 20, 1910.

Mr. Pontius holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal
church and with several fraternal organizations. He belongs
to the lodge, chapter and council in Masonry, is a member
of Elks Lodge, No. 83, at Upper Sandusky, of the Knights of
Pythias lodge and the Modern Woodmen camp. In politics he
has always been a democrat, active and prominent in the work
of the party and has served on the county central and execu-
tive committees. He has always labored earnestly for the
success of his party and for the betterment of society in gen-
eral. He represented the thirteenth congressional district of
Ohio as a delegate in the democratic national convention at
Baltimore, Maryland, in June, 1912, and was an ardent sup-
porter of Governor Judson Harmon for the presidency until,
feeling that it was not possible to secure the nomination of his
candidate, he voted for Wilson on the last three ballots. He
was one of the organizers and promoters of the Chamber of
Commerce and is still serving as one of its directors. Public-
spirited, he cooperates in all of its movements for the general
good and has ever taken a deep and helpful interest in the
welfare and growth of the city. His labors, of a public nature,
have been of a most beneficial character and his entire life
work indicates the fit utilization of the innate powers and
talents which are his, combined with the wise use of time and
opportunities.

SIDNEY C. DUNLAP.

Sidney C. Dunlap, closely connected with business inter-
ests of Carey as the proprietor of a large livery and sales
stable, was born in Texas township, Crawford county, April
10, 1863. He is a son of James and Mary (Linensberger)

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

125

Dunlap, the former born in Pennsylvania in 1832 and the
latter in Richland county, Ohio, in 1833. The father came
to this state with his parents when he was six years of age
and grew to manhood here, afterward engaging in farming,
in which occupation he still continues. He makes his home
in Texas township, Crawford county, having survived his
wife since 1895. In their family were eight children. Reddy
married William Barrack, a farmer of Crawford county.
They have three children, Cora, Inez and James. Laura
became the wife of Scott Haslett, a farmer of Crawford
coimty, and they have a daughter, Hazel. Jennie married
William Tuttle, who also engages in farming. She died in
1881. Elmer is a farmer in Crawford county. He married
Jennie Miller and has two sons, Harry and Floyd. Sidney C.
is the subject of this review. Minnie has passed away. Elva
married Horace Miller, a farmer in Crawford county. They
have three children, Earl, Beulah and Gorman. Ralph is
engaged in farming in Sycamore township. He married
Maude Badger and has two children.

In the district schools of his native county Sidney C.
Dunlap acquired his education, laying aside his books at the
age of eighteen. He afterward aided his father in the opera-
tion of the farm until he was thirty-two years of age and then
spent two years working out by the day. At the end of that
time he went to Shelby and secured a position in the tube
works, where he remained for four years, returning then to
the home farm and spending a similar period of time in Craw-
ford county. When he again left home he came to Carey and
established himself in the livery business, in which he became
immediately successful. He conducts also a sales stable, has
an average of nine horses on hand and controls an important
and growing patronage.

In Texas township, Crawford county, on the 20th of Febru-
ary, 1898, Mr. Dunlap was united in marriage to Miss
Lizzie Myers, a daughter of Solomon and Hannah (Schnarren-
berger) Myers, the former a well known farmer of Texas town-
ship. Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap have adopted two children,
Orville and Maggie. Mr. Dunlap attends the Evangelical
church and is connected fraternally with the Knights of
Pythias. Always a stanch and loyal democrat, he has taken
an active and intelligent interest in public affairs and has
himself held important public offices. He served for nine

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

years as constable of Texas township and was for two years
councilman of Carey, displaying great energy, efficiency and
public spirit in the discharge of his official duties. His busi-
ness interests have been carefully conducted, his duties of
citizenship capably performed and at all times he has been
true to the obligations and responsibilities that have devolved
upon him in every relation of life, making him one of the
valued and respected residents of the community.

EDWARD G. NEUMEISTER.

Business interests of Upper Sandusky are well represented
by Edward G. Neumeister, who conducts a large bakery and
confectionery store in the city. He is regarded as one of the
most progressive merchants here, employing modern methods
in the development of his trade and carrying a line of goods
that makes his establishment one of the most attractive stores
in the community. He was born in Upper Sandusky, Febru-
ary 2, 1878, and is a son of David and Katherine (Myers)
Neumeister, natives of Germany, the former born on the 4th
of May, 1838, and the latter on February 28, 1845. The father
was twenty-seven years of age when he crossed the Atlantic
to America, landing in New York, where he remained for one
year. At the end of that time he came west to Ohio and spent
six years in Bucyrus, at the end of which time he established
his home in Upper Sandusky, where he still resides. He
became identified with mercantile interests when he founded
a bakery and confectionery store which he developed ably and
along progressive lines, building up a large and representative
patronage. He retired from active life in 1900. He and his
wife became the parents of eleven children. John died at
the age of two. David, Jr., passed away when he was in his
eighteenth year. Adam, a baker at Mount Healthy, Ohio, mar-
ried Miss Celia Renner, of Findlay, and they have three chil-
dren. Henry, a merchant, is married and has one child.
Carrie married Paul Redlin, a baker and confectioner at Ham-
ilton, Ohio, and they have four children. William, a baker
and confectioner at Sandusky, married Miss Elsie Till and
they have one child. Edward G., the seventh in order of
birth, is the subject of this review. Ernest is still unmarried.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

127

Gustave died at the age of four years. Samuel died at the
age of seven. Paul, who completes the family, makes his
home in Upper Sandusky.

Edward G. Neumeister attended the public schools of
Upper Sandusky until he was sixteen years of age and then
laid aside his hooks to assist his father in the conduct of a
bakery and confectionery business. In 1900, when his father
retired, Mr. Neumeister of this review assumed full control
of the establishment, which he still conducts. He has ably
carried forward the work which his father began in 1877,
and has developed the store into an extensive enterprise,
attractive by reason of its well selected line of goods, its
tasteful arrangement and reasonable prices. Mr. Neumeister
has neglected no detail of his business and has followed always
the most modern methods, installing labor-saving machinery
and possessing at the present time stock and equipment valued
at about fifteen hundred dollars. He owns in addition a mod-
ern residence in the city, a large business building and an
interest in a business building in Hamilton.

On December 10, 1905, at Upper Sandusky, Mr. Neumeis-
ter was united in marriage to Miss Mary Paessler, a daughter
of Robert and Lydia Paessler of that city. The father passed
away in 1883, but the mother still makes her home in Upper
Sandusky. Mr. and Mrs. Neumeister have five children,
Evelyn, Karl, Ruth, Jane and James. Mr. Neumeister is
independent of political parties and is not active publicly,
preferring to concentrate his attention upon his business
affairs, which are bringing him richly merited success. His
worth is widely acknowledged, his business enterprise having
gained hm distinction in commercial circles and his business
probity standing as an unquestioned fact in his career.

WILLIAM J. EHMANN.

William J. Ehmann, who is numbered among the success-
ful and progressive business men of Nevada, is a member of
the firm of Walter & Ehmann, plumbers and steam fitters.
He was born in Eden township, March 11, 1884, and is a son
of William F. and Elizabeth C. (Sigler) Ehmann, the former
of whom was born in Germany, January 24, 1849, and the

128

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

latter in Pennsylvania, September 20, 1847. The father came
to Iowa in 1853 and for many years followed farming in this
state, retiring from active life in 1909 and moving to Nevada,
where he and his wife now reside. In their family were live
children, Mary L., Vernilla, William J., Edna A. and John W.

William J. Ehmann acquired his education in the district
schools of his native township and at the age of eighteen laid
aside his books. He afterward worked upon his father’s
farm until 1911, when he came to Nevada and became con-
nected with the plumbing and steam-fitting business as a
partner in the firm of Walter & Ehmann. They carry a stock
valued at fifteen hundred dollars and have a well arranged
and modernly equipped shop and conduct an extensive and
growing trade. Mr. Ehmann has proved himself an able,
resourceful and far-sighted business man and has already
gained an enviable place in business circles.

Mr. Ehmann belongs to the Knights of Pythias and attends
the Methodist church. He affiliates with the democratic
party but is not active in politics, preferring to concentrate
his attention upon his business affairs, which are ably and
progressively conducted, making him one of the most pros-
perous young men of this community.

CAPTAIN JOHN GREER.

Captain John Greer, one of the honored veterans of the
Civil war, whose military service was matched by his loyalty
to duty in times of peace, died upon his farm in Crawford
township in 1902, his death marking the passing of one of the
most honored and highly respected citizens of this community.
He was a native son of the state, his birth having occurred in
Columbiana county, July 10, 1828. His parents were Thomas
and Catherine (Rhodes) Greer, the former a native of Penn-
sylvania and the latter of Virginia. The Greer family orig-
inally came from Ireland but has been in America for several
generations.

John Greer was one of a family of nine children. He spent
his childhood upon his father’s farm, acquiring his education
in the public schools, and he remained at home until he was
twenty-two years of age, at which time he joined the rush of

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

129

California gold seekers and spent three years in the mines of
that state. He was fairly successful in his prospecting and
returned to Ohio with a considerable competence. He pur-
chased two hundred and forty acres of timber land in Wyan-
dot county but did not develop this property, leaving the trees
standing for many years. He purchased in addition a smaller
tract in Crawford township, upon wdiich he made his home and
carried on general farming and stock-raising. At the out-
break of the Civil war he offered his services to the Federal
government, enlisting August 14, 1861, in Company D, Forty-
ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and serving with loyalty until
he received his honorable discharge on the 22d of November,
1864. He took part in all of the important battles of the war
and was at the front at Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, Corinth,
Lawrenceburg, Stone River, Liberty Gap and Chickamauga.
He also participated in the engagements at Missionary Ridge,
Dalton, Resaca, Picketts Mills, Kenesaw Mountain and many
others. Upon the organization of Company D, of the Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, Mr. Greer was made second lieutenant
and in recognition of his distinguished bravery at Shiloh was
promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. In January, 1863,
he became captain of Company C, Forty-ninth Ohio Volun-
teers, and served in that capacity until the battle of Kenesaw
Mountain, in which engagement he received a severe wound
in the left leg, from which he never fully recovered. After
spending several months in the hospital at Chattanooga he
was discharged for disability and sent home. The younger
generation cannot understand what were the hardships expe-
rienced by the veterans of the Civil war— such men as Captain
Greer, who sacrificed the best strength and energies of their
lives for their country’s cause. Their sufferings extended not
only through the time of their service on the southern battle-
fields but through the years that have followed, and the coun-
try owes to them a debt of gratitude that can never be fully
repaid.

When Captain Greer had to some extent regained his
strength he resumed farming and continued in this line of
occupation until his death. He carried on general agricul-
tural pursuits and was likewise extensively interested in
stock-raising, his animals commanding a ready sale upon the
market. His prosperity steadily increased, for his methods
were always upright, honorable and progressive and he soon

130

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

attained a high position among the substantial and representa-
tive men of his community.

Captain Greer was twice married. In 1857 he wedded Miss
Mary Ann Crooks, a daughter of Andrew and Mary (Arnold)
Crooks. She died in August, 1883, leaving seven children,
Thomas W., Kittie, Andrew C., Asa B., Harry A., Guy E.
and Rutherford Hayes. On the 5th of February, 1885, Cap-
tain Greer married Miss Etta V. Luzader, of Seneca county,
a daughter of John and Cynthia (Dibble) Luzader. His
widow still survives him and is operating the farm success-
fully, being a very capable business woman possessed of great
executive ability.

Captain Greer was a stanch republican and at all times in-
terested in the welfare and progress of the community, giv-
ing his support to many measures for the public good. He
served as trustee of Crawford township for twenty years and
held other responsible offices, proving himself an able, con-
scientious and upright public servant. In his business deal-
ings he was ever straightforward and honorable, enjoying the
full confidence of those with whom he was associated, and his
death, which occurred in 1902, was the occasion of widespread
sorrow and regret. It closed the life of a man loyal in citizen-
ship, straightforward in business and faithful to all of the ties
and obligations of life and with the added qualification of long
and worthy service in his country’s defense.

CHARLES FREMONT PLUMB.

The name of Charles Fremont Plumb, known as the dean
of banking in Wyandot county, has come to be regarded as
synonymous with business development and progress in
Upper Sandusky, where he holds a position of distinctive pre-
cedence in financial circles as cashier of the First National
Bank. He has been connected with this institution for thirty-
four years and throughout the time has steadily and conserva-
tively directed its affairs where mature judgment and sound
discrimination led the way, and he, therefore, stands today
among the men of marked ability and substantial worth in
this section of the state. He was born in Upper Sandusky,

CHARLES F. PLUMB

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

133

September 17, 1857, and is a son of Thomas and Christina
(McCallom) Plumb, natives of England, the former born in
1826 and the latter June 17, 1816. The father was a land-
scape gardener in his native country but after he came to
Upper Sandusky, in 1849, engaged in farming and also in
grading and paving work of all kinds. He died in 1900 and
was survived by his wife until 1909. She was reared in Glas-
gow and had a distinguished ancestry, which could be traced
back in a direct line to the family of the Duke of Argyle of
Scotland. Her father, James McCallom, was a very prom-
inent engineer in England and Scotland and is well known as
the constructor of the Lancaster canal. He died in 1864, at
the age of seventy-four. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Plumb became
the parents of two children: Prank, who died in infancy; and
Charles Fremont, of this review.

The last named acquired his early education in the public
schools of Upper Sandusky and was graduated from the local
high school at the age of seventeen. He afterward entered
Eastman’s Business College at Poughkeepsie, Hew York, com-
pleting the course in 1879, in which year he returned to Upper
Sandusky and worked at various occupations in his father’s
employ for two months, afterward clerking for a short time
in a dry-goods store. His banking career began in the same
year, when he was requested by James G. Roberts, then cash-
ier of the First National Bank, to accept the position of col-
lection clerk. He soon proved his possession of the quali-
ties of accuracy, reliability and business capacity necessary
to the successful banker and his rise was, therefore, rapid.
He was made bookkeeper after six months and in 1889 was
advanced to the office of cashier, a position which he still
holds. His judgment has come to be regarded as practically
infallible on all questions of banking and finance and the posi-
tion which the First National Bank holds among the strong,
reliable and conservative moneyed institutions of the state is
largely due to his untiring efforts. Under his able manage-
ment the bank has passed safely through several bad panics
and a large and representative patronage has been built up,
for the people of Upper Sandusky have come to regard the
institution as thoroughly safe, calling it “the old reliable.”
Mr. Plumb’s splendid business and executive ability have
been called forth in this connection and he has put forth every
effort to promote the interests of the depositors along con-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

servative lines, while at the same time giving them the bene-
fit of a progressive business policy.

On the 1st of March, 1894, at Upper Sandusky, Mr. Plumb
married Miss Florence Estelle Demarest, a daughter of John
S. and Sarah (Terry) Demarest, pioneers in Wyandot county
and both representatives of old American families, the Terry
line coming from Virginia and the Demarests from New York
state. The history of this family is intimately connected with
the growth and development of Wyandot county and repre-
sentatives of both branches have been prominent in public
affairs here since early times. Mrs. Plumb’s grandfather,
Ethan Terry, was the man who surveyed the county seat and
was afterward a member of the first board of county commis-
sioners. The names have been well known and respected in
this section of the country, where they have been borne always
by upright, honorable and worthy men, who have left their
impress upon the early history of the state.

Fraternally Mr. Plumb belongs to the Masonic order and is
a charter member of the Knights of Pythias and the Benevo-
lent Protective Order of Elks. His religious views are in
accord with the doctrines of the Presbyterian church and,
politically, he is a stanch adherent of the republican party.
He has been called upon to serve his city in various important
capacities and, although he has never sought political pre-
ferment* has never evaded the obligations of citizenship.
From 1903 to 1910 he was a member of the city council and
in this relation was instrumental in securing the installation
of the city sewerage system before the paving of the streets
was completed. He was recently a candidate on the republi-
can ticket for the office of mayor and, although his name was
selected without his knowledge and he never campaigned for
a single day, the votes when counted showed that he was de-
feated by only two votes — a striking evidence of his political
power and his popularity. Mr. Plumb is interested in any-
thing that pertains to the welfare and upbuilding of the city
and in those public and semi-public measures which are of
genuine worth. He is a member of the Upper Sandusky
Chamber of Commerce and president of the Carnegie Library
building committee — connections which indicate something of
the scope and variety of his interests. He is a man promi-
nently and widely known in Wyandot county and in Upper
Sandusky, where his labors have promoted financial, social

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

135

and political development. His unbending integrity of char-
acter, his ability in the discharge of duty and his apprecia-
tion of the responsibilities which rest upon him, make him a
citizen whose worth is widely acknowledged.

JOHN GAMBER.

John Gamber is living retired in Upper Sandusky, enjoy-
ing in ease and comfort the fruits of many years of close
identification with agricultural interests of Mifflin and Salem
townships. He was born in the latter township, November
12, 1863, and is a son of Adam and Magdalena (Meyer) Gam-
ber, natives of Germany, the father’s birth having occurred in
1820. He came to America and settled in Pennsylvania in
1851 and afterward farmed in Salem township, this county.
He died in 1882 and was survived by his wife until 1904, her
death occurring when she was seventy-seven years of age. In
their family were eight children. Louisa married William
Sherman, a farmer in Kansas, and they have one child. Adam,
a salesman with headquarters in Mansfield, Ohio, married
Emma Eoulk and they have one child. Henry, a retired
farmer, living in Upper Sandusky, married Elizabeth Karg
and they have four children. John is the subject of this re-
view. Magdalena married Phillip Karg, a farmer in Salem
township, and they have two children. Salina wedded Thomas
Stephens, a farmer in Richland township, and they have two
children. Elizabeth is the wife of Carl Havens, a machinist.
Emma, the youngest child in this family, married John Ste-
phens, a farmer in Richland township, and they have four
children.

John Gamber was reared to the occupation of farming and
after completing his common-school education worked upon
his father’s property until after the latter’s death. He then
purchased a tract of one hundred and twenty-nine acres in
Hardin county and lived upon it for eight years, selling it at
the end of that time. He subsequently bought four hundred
and fifty-three acres in Mifflin and Salem townships and upon
this property carried on general farming and stock-raising,
meeting with gratifying success in both branches of his work.
Every year he harvested fine crops of hay, corn and oats in

136

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

return for the care and labor he bestowed upon the fields,
while his stock-raising interests constituted an important
source of his income. In 1911 Mr. Gamber put his son in
charge of his holdings and moved to Upper Sandusky, where
he is now living retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his
former toil. He makes his home at No. 329 North Eighth
street and is well known and highly esteemed as one of the
substantial and worthy residents of his native county.

Mr. Gamber was married on the 14th of March, 1890, in
St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Mifflin township to Miss Louisa
Krock, a daughter of Fred and Salina (Weible) Krock, the
former a prosperous farmer in that community. Mr. and
Mrs. Gamber are the parents of five children: Adam, a farmer
in Salem township, who married Miss Annie Beidelschies;
Charles, Eva, who is the wife of Henry Weper, a bookkeeper
at Columbus, Ohio; John, Jr., and Lucy.

Mr. Gamber supports the democratic party and his given
evidence of his capability and fidelity in positions of public
trust through his service as supervisor of Mifflin township and
member of the school board, having held each of these offices
for two years. A native of Wyandot county, he has for some
time been an interested witness of its growth and develop-
ment, and that his life has been ever an upright and honorable
one is indicated by the fact that the associates of his boyhood
and youth are still numbered among his stanch friends and
admirers.

FRANK HOLMES.

For many years one of the influential men of his district
and a newspaper editor and owner of renown and high stand-
ing, at present the popular postmaster of Nevada and promi-
nent in fraternal life in a district far exceeding the confines
of Wyandot county, due credit must be given to Frank Holmes
for what he has accomplished in the interests of the public.
When he entered upon newspaper publication, the purpose
of journalism still had its educational feature, in addition
to the dissemination of general and local news, and had not
yet been tinged with that commercial spirit, which seeks
through sensationalism to stimulate the curiosity of the pub-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

137

lie, without regard to wrong impressions. He never deviated
from these high principles or lowered his standards or con-
sidered it expedient or profitable to do so. He stands as a
high type of public-spirited citizenship and never weighed a
question of civic or personal honor in the scale of policy. As
postmaster of Nevada he discharges his duties systematically
and with such faithfulness that never a complaint has been
heard and none could be found.

Born on August 4, 1862, at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Frank
Holmes is a son of Dr. Samuel W. and Sarah E. (Ensminger)
Holmes, the father for many years a physician of Upper San-
dusky, county school examiner and an ardent worker in the
cause of education. The family is of English extraction.

Frank Holmes received his common-school education in
Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and as a boy entered the printing-
business with the Upper Sandusky Union under D. J. Stalter
as editor. He later continued with Dumm & Brunner on the
same paper. Having gained valuable experience of the me-
chanical end of the business as well as in the reportorial and
office divisions, he established in May, 1880, in connection
with his father, the Sycamore Star, which he continued for
three years and in May, 1883, sold out to a company. In that
year he formed his present partnership under the firm name
of Wilcox & Holmes, engaged in the publication of the News
at Nevada, the firm being founded in November, 1883. Under
his stimulating influence the paper has ever prospered and
gradually a most excellent power equipment was installed
and all other appliances provided were of equally up-to-date
type. Until November, 1912, Mr. Holmes directed the editor-
ial policy of the paper, exerting himself to promoting that
which would be of most benefit to the city, always taking a
concise and clear position in regard to political questions,
condemning sharp practices and commending good measures.
The news service has become better and better as the years
have passed and is especially complete in regard to local hap-
penings. As the paper has advanced from the newspaper
point of view its advertising columns have been keeping pace
and the patrons who occupy space in its columns are not only
representative but numerous. Naturally, circulation has in-
creased, not only in Nevada but in the surrounding territory,
and the News has become a popular journal with the public
and a strong factor in the political life of the section. Al-

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PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

though since 1912 Mr. Holmes has given his attention mostly
to his duties as postmaster of Nevada, he is still a partner in
the firm. They own the brick block in which their printing
office is located on the second floor, the lower rooms being
rented to the government for postoffice purposes. Moreover,
Mr. Holmes has other important interests, owning extensive
realty in the west.

In December, 1883, occurred the first marriage of Mr.
Holmes, of which were born two sons: William, who at pres-
ent occupies the position of foreman in the Nevada News
office; and Oscar, a pupil in the Nevada public schools. On
November 29, 1912, Mr. Holmes married a daughter of G. W.*
Barrick, who now resides with his daughter and son-in-law,
having recently removed here from Iowa, where other mem-
bers of the family are engaged in agricultural pursuits. The
father is an honorably discharged soldier of the Civil war.

As is but natural in the career of a newspaper man, Mr.
Holmes has actively participated in the public life of his
community and was elected and filled the office of city clerk
for a period of ten consecutive years. His political affiliation
is with the republican party and in 1912, during the presi-
dential campaign, he was invited by the state executive com-
mittee of that organization to participate as speaker. His
fraternal affiliations are extensive and worthy of special men-
tion. He is a member of Nevada Lodge, No. 234, Knights of
Pythias, having filled every official position in the lodge and
district; a member of Nevada Lodge, No. 625, 1. O. 0. F., hav-
ing held all offices therein and now having served as secretary
thereof for twelve years; a member of Nevada Lodge, No. 343,
F. & A. M., serving his second term as secretary; member of
Nevada Chapter, No. 184, R. A. M., holding official position
in this lodge also; member of Nevada Court, Tribe Ben Hur,
and has been secretary thereof since it was established in
1898; and member of Nevada Camp, No. 9406, M. W. A., hav-
ing served as officer therein for several terms. He has done
eminent work for these organizations as public speaker and
reader, achieving a distinction which has gained him a state-
wide reputation.

The progress of a section is largely due to the high views
of life such men as Mr. Holmes take. Every worthy enter-
prise finds in him a champion and he has ever exerted his pow-
ers to give credit to what is right and condemn what is wrong,

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

139

and, moreover, lie endeavored to teach the public as to what
is right and wrong, not only in political life but also in regard
to everyday affairs. His influence upon the moral upbuilding
and the intellectual advancement of Nevada and its tributary
district should not be underestimated, and his support to any
measure that has for its purpose commercial expansion is
ever enthusiastically given.

THADDEUS F. CLEMENS.

Thaddeus F. Clemens, who in an influental way has for
many years been identified with farming interests in Salem
township and whose enterprise has contributed much toward
the agricultural development of the community, was born in
Crane township, near the Oak Grove schoolhouse, June 27,
1863. He is a son of Alfred Clinton and Nancy (Kadebaugh)
Clemens, the former a native of Uniontown, Maryland, and
the latter of Fairfield county, Ohio. The father came from his
native section to Ohio with Abraham Clinton Clemens, grand-
father of the subject of this review, and with him settled in
Fairfield county, whence he afterwards moved to Salem town-
ship, where he carried on farming until his death, which oc-
curred September 19, 1893. He was one of the best known
men in this community and highly esteemed for his many
sturdy and upright qualities of mind and heart. His wife
was born in 1822 and was a year old when she came with her
father to Fairfield county, where she grew to womanhood.
Her death occurred on March 20, 1898.

Thaddeus F. Clemens is the youngest in a family of five
sons and five daughters. He was one year old when his par-
ents removed to his present farm and there he grew up, ac-
quiring his education in the district schools. He laid aside
his books at the age of eighteen and obtained employment
upon a neighboring property, working for two years as a
farm hand and returning home at the end of that time to as-
sume the management of his father’s farm. When he wTas
twenty-two years of age he went west and spent two years
in Wyoming, intending to make that state his future home,
but in 1893 he was called back by the death of his father. He
and his brother, Chase, operated the home farm in partner-

140

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ship for two years, after which Mr. Clemens of this review
purchased his brother’s interest and has since conducted the
enterprise alone. He has improved the property with a
comfortable residence and has kept the barns and outbuild-
ings in good repair, adding to them when necessary and in-
stalling modern farm equipment. He has since made his
home here, carrying on general agricultural pursuits and
stock-raising, and he has achieved such a substantial degree
of success that he is numbered among the influential and
prominent men of this community.

In 1896 Mr. Clemens was united in marriage to Miss Jen-
nie Walborn, a daughter of Jonathan Walborn, and both are
well known throughout the township. Mr. Clemens is a man
of high moral character, industrious and enterprising, and
his honesty and integrity of character have always merited
him the confidence and respect of his neighbors.

ARTHUR NOBLE SMITH, M. D.

Among the foremost of the younger representatives of the
medical fraternity in Upper Sandusky is Dr. Arthur Noble
Smith, who since 1909 has engaged in general practice here.
He was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, December 1, 1885, and is a
son of Dr. D. S. and Anna M. (Ritter) Smith. The father
was born in Adams county and grew to manhood in that sec-
tion, later graduating in medicine from the Miami Medical
College at Cincinnati, receiving the degree of M. D. in 1879.
He was for over thirty years in active practice in Ross county
and during that time treated over fifteen hundred cases of
typhoid fever and never lost* a single case. This is a most
remarkable record and is a clear evidence of Dr. Smith ’s abil-
ity as a physician. He and his wife now make their home in
Upper Sandusky.

Arthur N. Smith acquired his early education in the public
schools of Chillicothe, which he attended until he was twelve
years of age, after which he entered the high school in Twin
township, graduating from that institution in 1902. He then
took a course in the Ohio University at Athens and subse-
quently, having determined to follow in his father’s footsteps,
studied medicine in the Ohio Medical University at Columbus,

DR. A. N. SMITH

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

143

receiving his degree of M. D. in 1909. He at once opened an
office in Upper Sandusky, being at that time the youngest
practicing physician in the state of Ohio, and his patronage
has constantly grown in volume and importance as he has
demonstrated his ability to cope with the intricate problems
which frequently confront the physician. Doing important
research work in bacteriology and embryology, Dr. Smith
makes a specialty of diseases of women and children and is
favorably considered by the profession and the public on
account of successful work along this line. He is a young
man of pronounced ability in his chosen profession and
undoubtedly a brilliant future lies before him.

Dr. Smith married on the 5th of August, 1908, at Columbus,
Ohio, Miss Meema 0. Kline, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Kline, the former a well known lawyer of Hunting-
ton, West Virginia. Dr. Smith is prominent in fraternal
circles, holding membership in the Masonic Order, the Im-
proved Order of Red Men, the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows and the .Fraternal Order of Eagles. He belongs to the
Home Guards and to the Phi Delta, an important medical
fraternity. He gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party and in 1912 was elected coroner of Wyandot county.
He has gained recognition as one of the able and successful
physicians of Upper Sandusky and by his labors, his high
professional attainments and his sterling characteristics has
justified the respect and confidence in which he is held by the
medical fraternity and the local public.

S. S. BARRETT, A. M., M. D.

Anyone who has in any manner become acquainted with
the village of Nevada, Ohio, has known Dr. S. S. Barrett,
whose reputation as a skilled physician has extended far be-
yond the limits of Wyandot county. His birth occurred on
the old family homestead near Sciotoville, Scioto county,
Ohio, on the 22d of October, 1861, his parents being Henry
and Jane (Farney) Barrett. His paternal grandparents,
Henry and Elizabeth (Hatch) Barrett, were natives of New
Hampshire, the former born on the 1st of December, 1786,
and the latter on the 13th of February, 1790. Coming to

Vol. II— 8

144

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Ohio, they purchased and located on a section of government
land in Scioto county, situated three miles from the Ohio
river and bounded on one side by the Little Scioto river.
There they spent the remainder of their lives, Henry Bar-
rett, Sr., passing away on the 21st of October, 1858, and his
wife on the 13th of February, 1872. Their marriage was
celebrated on the 14th of May, 1807, and they became the
parents of the following children: Lavina, who was born

on the 18th of December, 1808; Abigail, whose birth occurred
on the 5th of December, 1810; Thornton, whose natal day
was January 4, 1813; John, born January 9, 1818; and Henry,
Jr., who was born on the 3d of November, 1825. The ma-
ternal grandparents of our subject were William and Eliza-
beth (Foster) Farney, the former born on the 28th of August,
1801, and the latter on the 6th of May, 1806. They were mar-
ried December 25, 1827, and had the following children:
Marcus, who was born on the 6th of January, 1829; Minerva,
March 3, 1830; John, whose birth occurred June 9, 1831;
Jane, born January 10, 1833; Amanda, September 5, 1834;
Van, March 21, 1836; and Clark, who was born December 21,
1837. The father of this family passed away on the 28th of
July, 1838, and the mother afterward married again, having
a son by her second marriage, Vernon Rowe, who was born
on the 3d of December, 1843. Her demise occurred on the
10th of August, 1879.

Henry Barrett, Jr., the father of Dr. S. S. Barrett, was
born on the farm which his parents had acquired from the
government and thereon spent his entire life, devoting his
attention to general agricultural pursuits until called to his
final rest on the 30th of September, 1871. On the 26th of No-
vember, 1856, he wedded Miss Jane Farney and unto them
were born the following children: James J., whose birth

occurred on the 30th of September, 1857, and who passed
away on the 27th of October, 1858; George G., born January
9, 1859, who resides upon and operates part of the original
family homestead in Scioto county; Samuel S., of this re-
view; John, who was born December 18, 1864, and likewise
cultivates a part of the old family homestead; Vernon R.,
born February 6, 1868, who is engaged in business at Ports-
mouth, Ohio; and Van F., born February 6, 1868, twin brother
of Vernon. The last named is a practicing physician of Lake-
view, Ohio. The parents of these children were consistent

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

145

and devoted members of the Baptist church and were well
known and highly esteemed throughout the community in
which they made their home. The mother was left a widow
with a family of small children but bravely shouldered her
responsibilities and has seen them grow to honorable and use-
ful manhood under her training and care. She still survives,
residing on the old homestead farm in Scioto county.

Samuel S. Barrett was born and reared on the farm which
was the home of his parents and grandparents and obtained
his early education in the district schools. Subsequently he
followed the profession of teaching in the district for a
period of fourteen months and then entered Rio Grande Col-
lege at Rio Grande, near Gallipolis, Ohio, being graduated
from that institution at the end of a six years’ course of
study. Again entering the ranks of pedagogy, he taught for
one year at Arkadelphia, Arkansas, as professor of English
and science in the State Baptist College. Subsequently he
taught at Salem, Missouri, acting as superintendent of schools
there for three years. In 1892 he entered the Western Re-
serve Medical College at Cleveland and was graduated from
that institution in 1895. He continued his studies by a post-
graduate course in New York city on the treatment of dis-
eases of the eye and ear and on completing the same located
for practice in Nevada, Ohio, which town has since remained
the scene of his professional labors. He is eminently success-
ful and has built up a practice which is both extensive and
lucrative. The Doctor has a kindly heart, which prompts him
to attend all calls and give the same care to the lowty patient
that he would to the richest patron, even when he knows
that the only reward he will receive is the thanks of the suf-
ferer and the consciousness of a good deed performed. The
weather is never too inclement, the cold too severe or the day
too sultry to keep him from those who are in need of his
services. His considerate care and cheerful words have
brought comfort to many a sickroom, while his skillful min-
istration has brought relief to the sufferer. He gives his
undivided attention to his profession and keeps well informed
on all the latest discoveries in medicine and science, his ample
library and medical journals furnishing him with studies
most suited to his requirements. At his office he has a large
medical library, while his home is adorned with a magnificent
collection of books on miscellaneous literature.

146

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

On the 28th of April, 1898, Dr. Barrett was united in mar-
riage to Miss Sabina Bever, a daughter of the late Samuel
and Christiana Bever, of Nevada, Ohio. They have four
children, namely: Carey C., who was born on the 8th of
March, 1899; Mary M., whose natal day was March 10, 1900;
Arthur B., whose birth occurred October 18, 1901; and Milton
E., born February 25, 1905. The family are among the lead-
ers in the social circles of Nevada and are earnest workers
in any cause for the advancement of the town and its citizens.
Fraternally the Doctor is identified with the Masons, belong-
ing to the lodge, the chapter and the Order of the Eastern
Star. He is likewise a member of the Knights of Pythias and
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a very enthusias-
tic lodge worker, and it is largely due to his earnest and per-
sistent effort that the lodges owe their own building and also
the Masonic-Pythian Auditorium. As an influential citizen
of Nevada his services may be counted upon to advance every
worthy measure and his influence is a potent factor in the
cause of humanity. Few men have been granted a warmer
place in the affections of their fellowmen or are more
deserving of commendation than Dr. Samuel S. Barrett.

RALPH N. FOWLER.

Ralph N. Fowler, a prominent representative of agricul-
tural interests of this county, is a native son of Pitt town-
ship, born in Little Sandusky, February 22, 1879. His par-
ents were Hiram and Alice (Hornby) Fowler, the former a
well known agriculturist in Pitt township, where his birth
occurred in 1852. For a number of years he was successful
in the operation of five hundred and eighty acres of land and
owned this extensive tract at the time of his death in 1905.
His wife, who was born in 1857 in Marion county, survives
him and makes her home with the subject of this review.
In this family were two children: Finfun A., a prominent
farmer of Pitt township, who married Miss Grace A. Wood,
by whom he has two children, Charles R. and Leafy Alice, and
Ralph N., of this review.

Ralph N. Fowler acquired his education in the public
schools of Little Sandusky, laying aside his books at the age

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

147

of sixteen. From that time until the death of his father he
assisted with the work of the homestead, gaining a practical
knowledge of all the details connected with the operation of
a modern farm. In 1905 he assumed possession of his share
of his father’s estate and has since been very successful in
the conduct of his agricultural interests. He owns two hun-
dred and fifty acres in Pitt township and upon this property
carries on general farming and stock-raising, both branches
of his work constituting important sources of his income.
He raises hay, corn, wheat and oats, which he sells in the
local markets, and in addition keeps fifteen head of cattle,
five hundred Jersey Red hogs, of which he makes a specialty,
and from eight hundred to one thousand sheep. He is an able,
alert and enterprising business man and is well known and
highly esteemed as one of the progressive and successful
agriculturists of this community.

On March 5, 1904, at Harpster, Ohio, Mr. Fowler was
united in marriage to Miss Frances Monte, a daughter of
David and Mary (Sheets) Monte, the former a dealer in sec-
ond-hand metals. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have three children,
Nova G., Hiram R. and Max N. Mr. Fowler gives his alle-
giance to the republican party, and is a devout attendant
at the Methodist church.

STANTON ELLWORTH BRETZ.

A native of Wyandot county, Stanton Ellworth Bretz of
Nevada has here won his success, enjoying a profitable prac-
tice as veterinary surgeon and being also engaged in the
undertaking and real-estate business, owning moreover valu-
able farm property. He was born in Antrim township, Wyan-
dot county, January 24, 1862, and is a son of David S. and
Jane A. (Coon) Bretz, the father a native of Marion county,
Ohio, where he was born in 1838 and where he successfully
followed agricultural pursuits until his retirement from active
labor in 1908. The mother was born in 1836 and passed away
in 1910. In their family were the following children : Fannie
Josephine, who married John Ten Eyck, a retired farmer, and
lives at Marion, Ohio; Stanton Ellworth, of this review; Cora
B., who married Charles Swartz, a farmer of Antrim town-

148

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ship, by whom she has two children, John E. and David L.;
and Sarah E., the wife of Henry Bardon, a bank cashier at
Morral, Ohio, by whom she has two children, Helen and Grace.

Stanton E. Bretz received his education in the district
schools of Wyandot county, in the Pitt township district
school and also attended public school at Upper Sandusky.
He then took a course at Oberlin College and graduated from
the Chicago Veterinary College in 1888. Thoroughly pre-
pared for a professional career, he opened an office at Little
Sandusky, there remaining for ten years, at the end of which
period he moved to Nevada in 1898, since which time he has
been located here, his patronage increasing as the years have
passed. He is thoroughly skilled and has gathered a wide and
valuable experience in his profession, making him one of the
foremost veterinarians in this section. The Doctor has also
acquired an enviable reputation as horse expert and in
extreme cases has been called in to break and educate some of
the most vicious and wild horses in this neighborhood which
were considered beyond all redemption. He also is engaged
as undertaker and is assisted in the business by Mrs. Bretz,
who is a graduate embalmer, having received a state license.
The real-estate field has also been entered by Dr. Bretz, who
has handled some of the important transfers in Wyandot
county. He personally owns a valuable tract of one hundred
and twenty acres on section 5, Eden township, and ninety-six
acres in Salt Rock township, Marion county. Other of his
property interests are two residences and a veterinary barn
in Nevada, the latter of which is used for the execution of his
work and as a stabling place for animals to be treated.

On September 24, 1892, in Marion county, Ohio, Dr. Bretz
was united in marriage to Miss Eva lone Walters, a daughter
of William and Lucretia (Shoots) Walters, the parents being
farming people of Marion county. Dr. and Mrs. Bretz have
one daughter, Rowena Antoinette, who was born in Nevada,
July 10, 1899. Mrs. Bretz was born in Marion county, May
31, 1868, and was educated at the Delaware College, giving
special attention to music.

Dr. Bretz gives his allegiance to the republican party and
has at various times given evidence of his public spirit by par-
ticipating in the public life of his community, having served
as member of the council of Nevada for two terms and as
member of the school board for three terms, his latter con-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

149

nection giving evidence of his sincere interest in the cause
of education. He keeps in touch with his colleagues through
the medium of his memberships in the Northwestern Ohio
Veterinary Medical Association and the National Veterinary
Medical Association. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights
of Pythias and his religious faith is that of the Methodist
church. He is highly regarded in his community and the
surrounding district, where he is widely and favorably known
and enjoys the confidence and good-will of the general public.
Ambition has led him to engage in various fields of labor and
he has been successful along all lines to which he has given his
attention. A substantial man and a man of worth, he has
contributed to the general welfare and his life has to be esti-
mated not only in regard to the personal prosperity it has
brought to him but as a factor in the general advancement
along material, moral and intellectual lines.

A. P. JOHNSON.

A. P. Johnson is well known in business circles of Carey
as the proprietor of a large automobile garage and in the
political life of the city by reason of his able work as a
member of the city council. He was born in Berea, Ohio,
June 21, 1882, and is a son of W. C. and Adah (Pickering)
Johnson. The father was educated in the public schools of
Hiram and later attended Oberlin College. The mother’s
schooling was acquired in Geauga county, where she grew to
womanhood. Their marriage occurred in Berea and they
afterward lived in Wellington and Creston before coming to
Carey. The father was well known throughout the county
for his success in the cultivation of onions and celery and in
1894 opened up the marsh lands north of Carey. Here he
was successful in his vegetable farming until 1896, when he
met with reverses, his crops failing on account of continued
rain. However, his financial condition improved in the fol-
lowing year and he had become once more a successful and
prosperous farmer when, on the 11th of September, 1900, he
was killed while defending his home against an attack of
burglars. His wife now owns the farm and makes her home
upon it.

150

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

After acquiring his education in the public schools A. P.
Johnson came to Carey and here began his independent busi-
ness career as the proprietor of the automobile garage which
he still conducts. He does an excellent business, being prac-
tical and far-sighted in his methods and incorruptible in his
integrity. His attention is divided between his private busi-
ness affairs and his duties as a member of the city council, to
which he was elected in the fall of 1911. In this position he
has since done practical and constructive work, supporting
measures which he deems for the best interests of the com-
munity and proving his public spirit by active and well
directed political service. His fraternal connections are with
the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the
Lutheran church.

GUILFORD D. TROWBRIDGE.

Guilford D. Trowbridge, conducting a photographic studio
in Upper Sandusky, was born in Fayette, Fulton county, Ohio,
August 21, 1859, a son of William and Mary A. (Erick) Trow-
bridge. The father, born in Knox county, Ohio, in 1833, is a
cabinet-maker by trade and makes his home with his son in
Upper Sandusky. The mother was a native of Pennsylvania,
born in 1835, and her death occurred in Fulton county in 1894.
In this family were three children. Zella married F. L.
Felger, a piano dealer at Fayette, Ohio, and they have two
children, Grace and Helen. Guilford D., the second in order
of birth, is the subject of this review. Mattie married Henry
J. Bachman, an implement dealer and speculator at Wauseon,
Ohio, and they have a son, Roland.

Guilford D. Trowbridge attended the public schools of
Fayette, Ohio, until he was twenty years of age and afterward
worked for a short time at the carpenter’s trade. He then,
however, learned photography and has been connected with
this art since that time. He worked in the employ of others
in his native section through 1880 and afterward spent five
years at Morenci, Michigan. In 1886 he began his indepen-
dent career, establishing himself in the photographic busi-
ness in Fowlerville., Michigan, where he remained until 1893.

GUILFORD D. TROWBRIDGE

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

153

He then spent two years with his father, after the death of his
mother, after which he came to Upper Sandusky, where he
now conducts a studio. His patronage is extensive, owing to
the excellent class of work which he turns out, and his ability
ranks him with the leading members of the profession in this
part of the state. He was called upon to do all the photo-
graphic work in connection with this history and as special
photographer furnished all of the illustrations appearing in
these volumes, acquitting himself with great credit of this
important and difficult task.

On August 3, 1885, in Fowlerville, Michigan, Mr. Trow-
bridge was united in marriage to Miss Anna K. Burg, a daugh-
ter of Henry and Eiiza (Chapman) Burg, of Junction City,
Kansas. Both have passed away, the father dying in 1876
and the mother ten years later. Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge
have one son, Dale, who is a draughtsman in Marion, Ohio. He
married Miss Iva M. Evans. Fraternally Guilford D. Trow-
bridge is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America.
Politically he is an independent republican and is closely con-
nected with the general business life of Upper Sandusky
through his membership in the Chamber of Commerce. Dur-
ing his sixteen years of residence he has won many friends
here and is much esteemed for his social qualities, as well as
for his artistic attainments in photographic lines.

MILFORD H. BRINKERHOFF.

In the years of an active and successful business career
Milford H. Brinkerhoff has ever enjoyed an unassailable
reputation for enterprise, capability and commercial integ-
rity. He is now the oldest music dealer in Wyandot county
and has a well appointed store in Upper Sandusky, where he
is accorded a liberal patronage. His birth occurred in Mc-
Cutchenville, Ohio, February 22, 1849. His father, Alexan-
der W. Brinkerhoff, was born at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
in 1821, and in 1834 became a resident of Seneca county, Ohio.
He was educated in the public schools and with his initial
step in the business world became connected with the dry-
goods trade. Later he entered the piano and music business
in Upper Sandusky. In 1879 he began to practice medicine

154

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

as a specialist in the treatment of rectal diseases, being the
inventor of five surgical instruments and remedies specially
adapted for that branch of medical science. He was very
successful and continued actively in the work of the profes-
sion to the time of his death, which occurred in 1887. His
wife, who bore the maiden name of Martha E. Hall, was born
in Hainesville, Ohio, in 1827, and passed away in 1864. In
their family were three sons: Milford H., of this review;

Byron, who died at the age of seven years; and William C.,
who married Minnie Geisinger, of Springfield, Ohio, and is a
practicing physician of Chicago.

In his youthful days Milford H. Brinkerhoff became a
pupil in the public schools of Upper Sandusky, which he
attended to the age of eighteen years. He started in the busi-
ness world by engaging in painting machinery for two years.
He then began selling machines and devoted his energies to a
growing business along that line from 1869 until the present
time. He subsequently added the music and piano busi-
ness, to which he now devotes much of his attention and is the
oldest music dealer in Wyandot county in years of continuous
connection with the trade. For forty-one years he has been
handling the Sterling goods. In fact his business has been
very successful from the beginning and has constantly grown
and developed because of his close application, his enterpris-
ing methods and his earnest desire to meet the requirements
of his patrons. He is also a stockholder in the First National
Bank and in the Upper Sandusky Telephone Company.

On the 24th of October, 1876, at Gilman, Illinois, Mr. Brink-
erhoff was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Kiskadden, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Kiskadden. Her father,
a pioneer of Wyandot county of 1844, devoted his life to farm-
ing. Mr. and Mrs. Brinkerhoff have become parents of four
children. Harry A. first married Nellie Philbrick, who died
in 1908, since which time he has wedded Bessie Parker. He
has one child, Mary A. He is now a sales manager with the
Universal Pattern Companj^. Grace M., the daughter, is at
home. Zachary K., who married Laura Katzmyer, is a farmer
living in Louisiana. Van Wyck is an osteopathic physician
at Toledo, Ohio.

In his political views Mr. Brinkerhoff has been a republi-
can since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. His
fraternal relations are with the Masons and he has attained

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

155

the Knights Templar degree of the Scottish Kite. He is inter-
ested in all effective movements for the welfare and progress
of the city. His religious faith is that of the Methodist
Episcopal church. A lifelong resident of Ohio and for many
years one of Upper Sandusky’s most valued citizens, Mr.
Brinkerhoff has contributed in large measure to the progress
and development of the city, not alone along material lines,
but also in its intellectual, social and moral development.

GIDEON BOWEN.

The real builders and promoters of Wyandot county have
largely been the men who came to this region when it was
an unimproved tract and utilized its natural resources, trans-
forming the wild prairie into rich and productive fields, the
products of which constitute one of the chief sources of the
county’s prosperity. Preeminent among these men is Gid-
eon Bowen, who, if not the oldest living settler in Wyandot
county, is one of the three oldest and whose residence here,
dating from 1829, has covered the most important period of the
county’s history. He has not only been a witness of the
growth and progress that has transformed this into a popu-
lous and prosperous region but has also borne his full share
in the work of general development and improvement. He
has seen wild prairies become fertile farms, roads built and
cities founded and as the years passed, his unwearied labor
has been rewarded by success, making him one of the success-
ful and honored citizens of this part of the state.

Mr. Bowen was born in Wyandot county, February 15,
1829, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret Bowen, both of
whom have passed away, the father dying in 1833 and the
mother in 1887. Mr. Bowen spent a hard and burdensome
childhood, assuming as a boy a man’s responsibilities and
combating with rare courage and determination the hard-
ships, obstacles and privations of pioneer times. When he
was only four years of age his father died, leaving the mother
so poor that she was obliged to “farm out” her eight chil-
dren. Hard labor fell to the lot of Gideon Bowen, who was
set to work at clearing land and opening up new farms out
of the wilderness. He was connected in a peculiar way with

156

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the foundation of Upper Sandusky, for his master, to whom
he was hired out, was employed to move from the present
town site the homes and effects of the Indians, who were
compelled to leave what was then their reservation. The-
master assisted in the moving of the wigwams and in the
transportation of the squaws and papooses to Cincinnati,
where they embarked for their new home selected by the
government. Mr. Bowen was left behind in Upper Sandusky
to take charge of eighteen acres of corn, which was planted
on the homestead owned by his master. During this time he
received a meager education, attending the little log school-
house on the river bank, which was converted from an Indian
council house.

Mr. Bowen’s next work here was clearing the land, where
Upper Sandusky now stands, and in the course of this oc-
cupation he cleared and filled in the corner at Walker and
Main streets where the Moody grocery store was later erected.
He aided in the construction of the old log building used as
a general store in the early days and he Avas afterward a clerk
in the establishment. Eventually, however, he turned his
attention to farming, his years of earnest, indefatigable and
untiring labor placing him today among those who have con-
tributed in substantial measure to the county’s agricultural
development and advancement. He owns eighty acres of land
in Crane township but has put this in the hands of a tenant,
having some time since laid aside the cares of active business
life. He has built on the first property A\diich he ever OAATned
in Upper Sandusky a fine modern house, and in memory of
his early struggles, difficulties and hardships in pioneer times
has incorporated in it some of the lumber, from \Adiich his
first little log cabin Avas made many years ago.

Mr. Bowen married, November 18, 1852, at Upper San-
dusky, Miss Deborah Woolley, and they became the parents
of five children. The eldest, Samuel, died at the age of four
years. Ada is noAv Mrs. Straw, and has one child. Della,
noAv Mrs. Moyer, makes her home in Upper Sandusky. Ota
B. is the widow of S. W. Nigh, Avho died in 1908, after a
successful agricultural career. Mrs. Nigh was for tAvelve
years a school teacher in Upper Sandusky and for six years
was connected Avith the public schools of North Baltimore.
She Avas an earnest, capable and conscientious teacher and
very much beloved by her scholars, as she is also by all AATho

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

157

come in contact with her. She now makes her home with
her father, the subject of this review, at 308 North Seventh
street, in Upper Sandusky. Pliny W., the youngest child in
this family, makes his home on his father’s farm in Crane
township. He is married and has three children, Martha L.,
Helen C. and Miller E.

Mr. Bowen gives his political allegiance to the republican
party but is never active as an office seeker. For a number
of years he was a member of the United Brethren church,
serving as superintendent. He has been interested in the
welfare of the county and has given active cooperation to
movements for the public good, while his efforts in behalf
of general improvement have been effective and far-reaching.
Living in Wyandot county for eighty-four years, or since his
birth, he is one of the best known citizens of this locality,
being widely recognized as a man of tried integrity and
worth, of business enterprise and unfaltering diligence. He
is a self-made man, who, depending upon his own resources,
has conquered hardship and defeat, working his way up-
ward and proving the force of his character and the extent
of his energy in the splendid success he has achieved.

ORLANDO V. RILEY.

One of the prosperous men of Nevada and a leader in the
commercial life of the city, Orlando V. Riley is engaged along
various lines, including general merchandising, dealing in
farm implements and machinery, real-estate transactions, and
is also the sole owner of the only fireproof auto garage in
Nevada. A versatile man of business ability, energy and pro-
gressive methods, he has sought and found prosperity along
various lines until he is considered today one of the substan-
tial residents of Nevada, which city in turn has profited by his
efforts, so that his life work has become a serviceable factor
in the general upbuilding. A native of Davis county, Iowa,
he was born October 1, 1869, and is a son of David M. and
Bertha (McGough) Riley. Both parents are natives of Van
Wert county, Ohio, where the father was born in 1842 and the
mother in 1846. The former during practically all his active

158

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

life was engaged in mercantile pursuits and for eighteen years
served efficiently as postmaster at Convoy, Van Wert county.
He retired in 1912 and both he and his wife still reside in the
city which was their home for so many years and which wit-
nessed the business success of the father. In their family
were the following children: Oliver H. is a merchant at Fos-
toria, Ohio. He married Adaline Knapp and has five chil-
dren; Frank O., Floyd 0., Forrest O., Fannie 0. and Florence
O. Charles died in childhood. Orlando V. is the subject of
this review. Margaret M. married Lee G. Friedenburg, a
station agent on the Pennsylvania Railroad at Whiting, In-
diana, by whom she has two children, Harry and Martha.
Nellie M. married Christopher Hoelle, a telegraph operator
in the employ of the Pennsylvania system at Van Wert, Ohio.
Cleo G. married Paul Long, a bank cashier at Convoy, Ohio,
and they have one child, Mary Louisa. One child of Mr. and
Mrs. David M. Riley died in infancy.

Orlando V. Riley attended public school at Convoy until
sixteen years of age, when he laid aside his text-books in order
to accept a position as telegraph operator with the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company, a connection which he maintained
for sixteen years. Thrifty and industrious, and desirous of
establishing himself in business independently, he then be-
came a merchant in Nevada, also handling farm implements
and machinery and extending his efforts to the real-estate
field, being successful in all these connections. He has since
built and now is the sole owner of the only fireproof auto
garage in Nevada, deriving a substantial income from this
enterprise. Before the natural gas company began opera-
tions he supplied Nevada for a period of seven years with acet-
ylene gas, operating a plant for the manufacture of the com-
modity. As landholder of ninety-two acres on section 4,
Antrim township, and section 33, Eden township, he is con-
nected with agricultural interests and he also owns his hand-
some residence in Nevada.

At Monroeville, Indiana, on August 21, 1889, Mr. Riley
was united in marriage to Miss Georgia L. Gartly, a daughter
of Mrs. Millie Edwards of her first union, with Mr. Gartly,
and now residing in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs.
Riley have three children: Clyde G., Margaret A. and David
E. The elder son, Clyde, married Beatrice Young and assists
his father in the automobile business.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

159

Mr. Riley gives his allegiance to the republican party and
has for ten years served efficiently as member of the school
board, giving thereby evidence of his public spirit and inter-
est in the cause of education. His religions faith is that of the
Methodist church. Fraternally he is a Mason, a member of
the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen of Amer-
ica. His career is proof of the fact that success is but ambi-
tion’s answer and that the old-fashioned virtues of honesty
and industry will still win the day. He has become one of the
most substantial men of his community, where he is highly
regarded and respected, enjoying the confidence and good-
will of all who know him in a business and social way.

MARSHALL E. FOUCHT.

Marshall E. Foucht, surveyor and civil engineer of Upper
Sandusky, is one of the county’s native sons, his birth having
occurred in Mifflin township, March 24, 1877. His father was
William A. Foucht, who was born in Pitt township, this
county, in 1855, and is now a merchant of Upper Sandusky.
In his earlier life he followed farming but retired froni agri-
cultural pursuits and is associated with Andrew Bardon in
commercial interests in the county seat. His wife, who bore
the maiden name of Sarah J. Ewart, was born in Mifflin town-
ship in 1857. They are parents of two sons: Marshall E.,
and Paul L., the latter now a professor in Oxford University.
He wedded Carrie Purnell and they have two children, Beat-
rice and William.

Marshall E. Foucht pursued his early education in the
district schools of Mifflin township and afterward attended
the high school of Upper Sandusky and the Ohio Northern
University at Ada. He next entered the Zanarian Art Col-
lege at Columbus, Ohio. In early life he spent two years in
farming upon the farm of his father-in-law and afterward
engaged in teaching in connection with Wolf’s Business Col-
lege at Hagerstown, Maryland. Subsequently he established
a restaurant in Ada, Ohio, but afterward turned his attention
to the insurance business in connection with W. A. Gibson.
He devoted four years to that undertaking and in his different
lines has been very successful. In 1908 he was elected to

160

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the office of county surveyor of Wyandot county and served
for a period of four years. He studied civil engineering at
Ada in the Ohio Northern University and in following his
profession is meeting with good success, receiving now a
liberal and well merited patronage.

On the 24th of October, 1901, in Mifflin township, Mr.
Foucht was married to Miss Cora E. Justice, a daughter of
Henry M. and Susan (Miller) Justice, who were farming-
people in Mifflin township. Mr. and Mrs. Foucht have three
children: Mildred J., Stanton H. and Evelyn L. His political
allegiance has always been given the democratic party since
age conferred upon him the right of franchise and his fraternal
relations are with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks
and with the Royal Arch Masons. He is interested in matters
of public-spirited citizenship and to this end cooperates in all
progressive movements of the Chamber of Commerce, of
which he is a member. His religious belief is evidenced in
his membership in the Methodist church and at all times his
influence is on the side of right, progress, reform and truth.

THOMAS D. STRASER.

Thomas D. Straser, a leading butcher of Upper Sandusky,
owns and conducts a well appointed meat market in the city
and is meeting with a gratifying success because of his hon-
orable business methods and his earnest desire to please his
patrons. He was born in Big Spring township, Seneca county,
February 16, 1859, a son of George and Mary (Siebenaller)
Straser, natives of Germany, the father born October 15, 1830,
and the mother in 1836. George Straser left the fatherland
at the age of fifteen and, crossing the Atlantic, settled in Ohio,
where he grew to maturity, later becoming a prominent fac-
tor in agricultural circles. His wife passed away in 1908.
She was the mother of eleven children, Rose, Thomas, Peter,
Anna, Elizabeth, John, Louis, Victoria, William, Charles and
Christine.

Thomas D. Straser acquired his education in the district
schools of Seneca county, which he attended until he was
eighteen years of age, after which he worked upon his father’s
farm until he was twenty-four. He then turned his attention

MR. AND MRS. THOMAS D. STRASER

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

163

to business pursuits, forming a partnership with his brother
Peter in the carpentering and contracting business, which he
followed for four years, building many line residences and
barns throughout that section of the state. The partnership
was finally dissolved when Peter Straser moved away and in
1888 Thomas Straser turned his attention to general farming,
buying one hundred and sixty acres in Mifflin township, upon
which he resided until 1905, when he came to Upper Sandusky
and engaged in business. He opened a livery barn but after
two years established himself as a retail butcher, a line of
work in which he has been very successful. His modern, well
appointed shop and excellent line of goods have secured him
a gratifying patronage, which extends beyond the limits of
Upper Sandusky into the surrounding country districts. In
addition to this Mr. Straser still supervises the operation of
his one hundred and sixty acre farm in Mifflin township, upon
which he raises fine crops of hay, wheat, corn and oats and
keeps one hundred sheep, forty hogs and eleven horses, selling
his stock in the local markets.

Mr. Straser married, October 16, 1888, in Mifflin township,
Miss Sophia Rail, a daughter of Joseph and Susan (Bricher)
Rail, the former a prominent agriculturist of that locality.
Mr. Straser gives his allegiance to the democratic party and
has been trustee of Mifflin township for seven years. He is
a member of the Catholic church, is identified with the Catholic
Knights of Ohio and in his social and business life is recog-
nized as a man of genuine personal worth, who well deserves
the widespread respect and esteem which he has won.

JOHN CASEY.

John Casey is a retired farmer now living in Upper San-
dusky. During the years in which he cultivated his fields
his intelligently directed industry brought him success, en-
abling him now to rest from further labor. He was born
in Erie county, Ohio, March 4, 1850, and is of Irish lineage.
His father, Timothy Casey, was born in Ireland in 1805 and
at the age of seventeen years came to Ohio, where in business
circles he was afterward well known as a contractor in stone
and ballast. He furnished the rock to fill in the lake front at

voi. n— 9

164

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Sandusky and had other important contracts. He died in
1892, having for two years survived his wife, who bore the
maiden name of May McDrewry, and who was born in Ire-
land in 1813. Their children were twelve in number, five of
whom are yet living. Katie is the widow of James Gillin, a
farmer, who died in 1910, leaving nine children. Maria is the
widow of Phillip Kennedy, who passed away in 1909, and
their children were ten in number. John is the next of the
surviving members of the family. Sarah is the wife of John
Courtad, a farmer of Crane township, and they have six
children. James, who married Elizabeth Hoffman, is a
farmer of Wyandot county and has six children.

In the common schools John Casey pursued his education
to the age of nineteen years and afterward worked as a farm
hand until he had attained his majority. He then started out
independently by renting a farm and after continuing the cul-
tivation of leased land for a number of years he purchased,
in 1883, sixty-four acres in Pitt township which a decade later
he traded for one hundred and sixty-four acres on section 18,
Crane township. For more than ten years he was busily en-
gaged in cultivating and improving this property, making it
one of the rich and productive farms of that section of the
county. He was very successful and with a handsome compe-
tence acquired through his own efforts retired to private life
in 1904. His property holdings now include his place of one
hundred and sixty-four acres in Crane township and two fine
residences on West Wyandot avenue in Upper Sandusky, one
of which he occupies.

On the 9th of May, 1871, at Tiffin, Ohio, Mr. Casey was
united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Seifert, a daughter of
Phillip and Susan (Terry) Seifert, of Seneca county, Ohio.
Her parents were farming people. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Casey
has been born one son, James, who married Miss Emma Mitch.
He is also a retired farmer, living at Upper Sandusky.

In politics Mr. Casey has always been a democrat since
age conferred upon him the right of franchise, and his capa-
bility in office is widely acknowledged by his fellow town-
men who have frequently called him to serve in public posi-
tions. He was justice of the peace in Pitt township for one
term, was a trustee of that township for four years, was
county commissioner for six and a half years, was supervisor
for ten years and a member of the school board for twelve

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

165

years. His fraternal relations are with the Benevolent Pro-
tective Order of Elks and his religions faith is evidenced by
his membership in the Catholic church, in which for eighteen
years he served as councilman. He has always worked dili-
gently and his life’s labors have been productive of good
results, winning for him not only a substantial competence but
also the respect and good-will of his fellowmen.

CHARLES F. CHAPLAIN.

Charles F. Chatlain, one of the most successful and promi-
nent farmers and stockmen of Wyandot county, was born in
Eden township, February 1, 1877, a son of Frederick H. and
Ella (Carr) Chatlain. The father was born in Switzerland,
October 18, 1847, and was five years of age when he arrived
in America. He grew to manhood in this country and later
followed farming in Wyandot county for many years, passing
away in 1910. His wife was a native of Eden township and
was born in 1851. She died February 19, 1913, at her late
home in Nevada. To Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Chatlain
were born seven children: Charles F., of this review; Louis,
who is a partner of Charles F. in the stock business; Myrtle,
who married Charles Steinetz, a farmer of Crawford county,
by whom she has three children; Nettie, who married Luther
Mollencop, a farmer in Antrim township, by whom she has
two children; Clarence, who is engaged in farming in Eden
township and who married Maud Thomas, by whom he has
one child; Frank, who is an agriculturist in Eden township
and who married Mary Brewer, by whom he has one child;
and Minnie, the wife of Frank Martin of Nevada, Ohio.

The public schools of Eden township afforded Charles F.
Chatlain his educational opportunities but he laid aside his
books at the early age of fourteen in order to assist with the
work of the home farm. When he was eighteen his father
made him a partner in the stock-buying business and their
association continued until the death of Frederick H. Chat-
lain, Mr. Chatlain of this review laying at this time the broad
foundations of his present success. After his father’s death
he continued to buy and sell stock and is interested in this
line of work at the present time in connection with general

166

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

farming. He owns four hundred and three acres of land in
Atrirn township, upon which he raises corn, wheat and hay,
and he keeps also one hundred head of cattle, eight horses,
three hundred sheep and six hundred hogs. He takes a great
interest in the affairs of his township and is a member of the
Farmers Association, a society organized for the purpose of
building roads and making general improvements.

On February 24, 1898, Mr. Chatlain was united in mar-
riage at Morral, Ohio, to Miss Bessie E. Krestetter, a daugh-
ter of Christ and Elizabeth (Leith) Krestetter, the former a
prominent farmer of Antrim township. Mr. and Mrs. Chat-
lain have four children, Leo C., May A., Ona M. and Flossie
I. Mr. Chatlain attends the Baptist church but is not a
member of any religious organization. He gives his alle-
giance to the republican party, voting its ticket on all national
and local questions, but beyond casting his vote takes no
active part in political affairs. He is one of the most active
and able business men and progressive farmers in Wyandot
county and his prosperity has come to him through his own
energy, labor and perseverance, so that he stands today among
the representative citizens of his native section.

BENJAMIN F. KENNEDY.

Benjamin F. Kennedy, who since 1883 has been the effi-
cient manager of the W. L. Bones estate, located in Pitt and
Mifflin townships, is numbered among the earliest residents
of Wyandot county and among her most progressive and suc-
cessful native sons, his birth having occurred in Marseilles
township, October 8, 1838. He is a son of Frederick and
Elmira (Hull) Kennedy, natives of Pennsylvania, the former
born about the year 1818 and the latter in 1820. The father
was a wheelwright by trade and followed that occupation
until his death in 1841. The mother has also passed away,
her death having occurred in 1905. In their family were two
children: Benjamin F., of this review, and Jerome.

The district schools of Marseilles township afforded Ben-
jamin F. Kennedy his educational opportunities. He laid
aside his books at the age of seventeen and clerked from 1855
to 1863 in a local dry-goods store. He made rapid advance-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

167

ment in this field of labor and was in the latter year taken
into partnership, his association with mercantile interests
continuing until 1883, in which year he became manager of
the W. L. Bones estate. He has been very efficient and faith-
ful in his service, looking after the interests entrusted to him
carefully and intelligently, and as a result has made the prop-
erty one of the finest farms in this section, its attractive
appearance standing as an evidence of Mr. Kennedy’s many
years of care and labor.

At Marseilles, September 26, 1861, Mr. Kennedy was
united in marriage to Miss Susan L. Knibloe, a daughter of
Philip and Katherine Knibloe, of Marseilles township. Mr.
and Mrs. Kennedy have become the parents of five children,
Louis A., Jared C., Charles F., Cora E. and Edna B. Louis
A., the eldest, was born August 24, 1871. He was educated in
the district schools of Marseilles township, laying aside his
books at the age of nineteen in order to accept a position in
the office of the adjutant general at Columbus, Ohio. He
retained this position from 1891 to 1894 and then came to
Harpster, where he entered the employ of H. H. Sears. In
1901, however, he severed this connection and worked in the
elevator owned by C. E. Barnhouse until 1905, in which year
he purchased an interest in the general store conducted by
W. S. Wood. After four years he disposed of his stock and
was afterward for twelve months engaged in shipping hay,
becoming in 1912 manager of the local elevator. On Janu-
ary 10, 1906, he was married at Little Sandusky to Mrs. Mary
Swinehart, who by her former marriage had one son, Lehr W.
Louis A. Kennedy is one of the successful and prosperous
young business men of Harpster and he possesses in his char-
acter and ability the foundation of still greater future ad-
vancement. Jared C. Kennedy, the next in order of birth,
married Leland Reed and they have two children. He is
engaged as an engineer for the Standard Oil Company.
Charles F. is a grain merchant. Cora M. married John C.
McCleary, a real-estate dealer, and they have two children.
Edna, the youngest member of the family, resides at home.

Mr. Kennedy belongs to the Masonic order, and his reli-
gious views are in accord with the doctrines of the Methodist
church. He is a stanch republican and served for twenty-one
years as trustee of Marseilles township and for twenty years
as a member of the school board, his labors having been of

168

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

direct benefit to the educational advancement of the com-
munity. He owns an attractive home in Harpster and is one
of the most widely known men in this part of Wyandot county,
with the agricultural development of which he has been asso-
ciated since pioneer times. He has seen the growth of this
section of the state and through the years of an honorable
and upright manhood has been connected with it, being today,
at the age of seventy-five, still an active factor in the world’s
work.

JOHN N. BENTGES.

John N. Bentges, filling the office of deputy sheriff of
Wyandot county, has been a lifelong resident of Upper San-
dusky. He was here born March 11, 1863, his parents being
Hubert and Catherine (Neidig) Bentges. The father was
born in Germany in 1832 and in early life learned the black-
smith’s trade, which he afterward followed for many years.
On coming to America he settled at Mansfield, Ohio, in 1854,
but afterward removed to Upper Sandusky. He died in 1898
but his widow, who was born in 1831, is now living in Colum-
bus, Ohio, at the venerable age of eighty-two years. Their
children were six in number. Catherine is the wife of August
H. Engeman, proprietor of a hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-
vania, and they have three children : Mamie, John and Helen.
John N., of this review, is the second in order of birth. Mary
is the wife of Michael Bentges, proprietor of a saloon at
Columbus, Ohio, and they have one child, Margaret. Anna
became the wife of John Comyns, a molder of Cleveland, and
died in 1898. William married Agnes Butts, by whom he has
three children, Edith, Mildred and Beatrice, and their home
is in Lansing, Michigan, where he follows the machinist trade.
Joseph, who married Margaret Griffin, was a butcher and
died in 1912.

John N. Bentges pursued his early education in the paro-
chial schools and in the public schools of Upper Sandusky,
which he attended to the age of seventeen years. In early
life he learned the shoemaker’s trade, which he followed for
nine years. He was afterward engaged in the conduct of a
meat market until 1910, when ill health forced him to retire

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

169

from that line of business. He had been very successful and
had built up a large trade. In fact he may well be termed a
self-made man, for he started out with practically nothing
and has worked his way upward with unfaltering energy and
determination until he is now in very comfortable financial
circumstances. He is a stockholder in the Citizens Savings
Bank and has some property interests.

On the 22d of June, 1897, at Nevada, Ohio, Mr. Bentges
was married to Miss J ohanna 0 ’Connor, a daughter of Phillip
and Margaret O’Connor. Her father was a railroad man of
Nevada for over forty-five years and was highly esteemed
there. Mr. and Mrs. Bentges hold membership in the Catho-
lic church and he has been one of its trustees since the erec-
tion of the house of worship. He also holds membership with
the Catholic Knights of Ohio. For five years he was a mem-
ber of the Kirby Light Guard. In politics he has always been
a democrat, interested in the success and growth of his party,
and upon its ticket was elected to the office of councilman in
1898 and by reelection was continued in the office until 1902.
Following his retirement from commercial pursuits he was
appointed deputy sheriff of Wyandot county in 1913 and is
now acceptably filling that position, making as creditable an
officer in that connection as he did when a member of the
city council.

RAYMOND H. GRIFFITH.

Raymond H. Griffith, who has led a life of activity and
enterprise, resulting in the acquirement of a goodly measure
of success, is now engaged in the blacksmithing business in
Carey, conducting a profitable enterprise of this character as
a member of the firm of Griffith & Stoody. He is a native of
Ohio, born in Pike county, August 17, 1877, and is a son of
John F. and Sarah H. (Spahn) Griffith, also natives of this
state, the father born in Marshall, Highland county, in 1856,
and the mother in 1858. The father is a blacksmith by trade
and now conducts a shop in Middletown. He and his wife
became the parents of eight children. Raymond H. is the
subject of this review. Edna passed away at the age of four
years. Madge died in infancy. Blanche makes her home in

(

170 PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Middletown, Ohio. Earl is an iron worker in Middletown.
He married Pearl Baird and has one daughter, Leva. The
other children in this family are Floyd, Eber and Glen, all
of whom reside in Middletown.

Until Raymond H. Griffith was seventeen years of age he
attended district school in Highland county and then began
his independent career, working for three years in a grist-
mill. He also learned the blacksmith’s trade, specializing in
the horseshoeing branch, and worked under his father from
1895 to 1898. In the latter year he came to Carey and worked
at his trade in the employ of others until 1901, when he pur-
chased a shop and started in business for himself. In 1912
the volume of his patronage justified him in taking a partner
and accordingly he associated himself with John Stoody under
the firm name of Griffith & Stoody, the firm now controlling
a large and growing trade. Mr. Griffith is a skilled blacksmith
and mechanic and upon his efficiency and ability has founded
a gratifying degree of success. He owns his own business
premises and an attractive residence on Patterson street.

On the 23d of August, 1899, at Sinking Spring, Highland
county, Mr. Griffith was united in marriage to Miss Nettie M.
Patten, a daughter of Samuel and Etta (Woltz) Patten, of
that city. Mr. and Mrs. Griffith have two daughters, Margaret
J. and Helen P. Mr. Griffith is a member of the English
Lutheran church. His political allegiance is given to the
republican party and he is a firm advocate of its principles
but has never sought nor desired public office, preferring to
give his time and attention to his business affairs, which are
capably conducted, making him one of the leading business
men in the city.

VOLNEY E. WILLIAMS.

Volney E. Williams is classed among the important land-
owners of Pitt township, owning and operating three hun-
dred acres of land, and he is also well known as a breeder of
high-grade racing horses. He has spent his entire life in Pitt
township and no man of this section of the state is more widely
and favorably known. His birth occurred on J anuary 2, 1850,
his parents being Benjamin and Elizabeth (Hitchcock) Wil-

YOLNEY E. WILLIAMS

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

173

liams, natives of New York state, where the father was born on
the 17th of September, 1818, and the mother in February,
1817. Benjamin Williams wTas a farmer by occupation and
spent the later years of his life upon his property in Pitt town-
ship, where he died in 1911, having survived his wife for a
number of years, her death having occurred February 20,
1900. He was one of the earliest settlers in Wyandot county
and operated a saw and gristmill for the Indians in the early
days and laid the foundations of his future prosperity in his
trade relations with the savages. He and his wife became the
parents of six children: Mary J., Anna, Yolney E., John E.,
Franklin B. and one child who died in infancy.

Yolney E. Williams attended district school in Pitt town-
ship and high school in Upper Sandusky, leaving the latter in-
stitution at the age of twenty in order to assist his father with
the work of the farm. He left the homestead in 1881 in order
to begin his independent agricultural career. That he has met
with success in the years which have come and gone is indi-
cated by the fact that he is today the owner of three hundred
acres of fine land on sections 15 and 16, Pitt township. On
his place stand a fine residence and substantial barns and
outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock. Mr. Williams
follows the most modern methods in carrying on his work and
each year gathers abundant harvests of all kinds of farm pro-
duce as a reward for the care and labor he bestows upon his
fields. He is also extensively interested in stock-raising, own-
ing twenty horses, three hundred sheep, seventy-five hogs and
twelve head of cattle. Of his high-grade racing horses, of the
breeding of which he has made a specialty since the begin-
ning of his active career, “Bay Dick” was the first. He
bought him for thirty-five hundred dollars and subsequently
sold him to William H. Vanderbilt, in 1882, for seven thousand
dollars. Another famous horse “Ambassador” he sold to
Brown Stockbridge at Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the high sum
of eighteen thousand dollars, these figures being indicative of
the quality of his horses.

On the 20th of December, 1881, in Mifflin township, Mr.
Williams was united in marriage to Miss Angenette Straw,
a daughter of Joel and Mary (Swayze) Straw, the former
a prominent farmer in that section. He died in 1867, at the
age of fifty-eight, and was survived by his wife until 1898,
her death occurring when she was eighty-eight years of age.

174

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. and Mrs. Williams became the parents of two sons,
Harry S. and Robert W.

Mr. Williams gives his allegiance to the democratic party
and his interest in the cause of education is indicated by the
able and effective work which he did during his term of serv-
ice as a member of the school board. Having resided in this
township during his entire life, covering a period of sixty-
three years, he is well and favorably known here and is
widely recognized as a prosperous and progressive business
man as well as an upright and honorable citizen.

HARVEY F. SMITH.

Among the successful business men of Nevada, Wyandot
county, Ohio, is Harvey F. Smith, who there conducts a livery
barn from which he receives gratifying financial returns. A
native of Whetstone township, Crawford county, this state,
he was born June 27, 1881, a son of Edwin G. and Alice A.
(Magers) Smith. The father was born near Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, in 1850 and during his active career conducted
a general store, which he owned at North Robinson, Ohio,
where he passed away in 1912. The mother is a native of
Crawford county, this state, where she was born in 1850, and
still makes her home in North Robinson. In their family
were the following children: Clyde A., Belle A., Florence M.,
Harvey F., Myrtle E. and William P.

Harvey F. Smith was reared under the parental roof and
early grounded in the old-fashioned virtues of honesty and
industry by his parents, attending the public schools of North
Robinson in the acquirement of his education until twenty
years of age. He then became an associate of his father in
the general store which the latter conducted and remained in
that connection until 1911, when he removed to Wyandot
county, coming to Nevada, where he bought a livery barn.
Although he has been in business not yet two years, he has
succeeded in gaining a representative and valuable patronage,
his ever-increasing business giving evidence of his ability
along that line.

On June 24, 1908, Mr. Smith was married, in Crawford
county, to Miss Ella M. Miller, a daughter of Isaac and Cath-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

175

erine (Smith) Miller, the former an agriculturist of Crawford
county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son, William
Paul.

Although Mr. Smith has not as yet participated in the
public life of Nevada, he successfully and efficiently served as
town treasurer of North Robinson for eight years. His polit-
ical views are independent and he largely follows his own
judgment in giving support to candidates and proposed meas-
ures. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees. His faith
is that of the Lutheran church. Although Mr. Smith’s arrival
in Nevada has been of recent date, he has already established
himself in the confidence of his fellow citizens by his strictly
honest and thorough business methods and has made many
friends here. He owns his residence in Nevada and also has
a half interest in a residential property in North Robinson.
Personally he is a genial, pleasant-mannered young man, one
whose hand everybody is glad to shake and who makes
friends readily. This open-heartedness combined with true
business ability, industry and reliability have rapidly brought
him to the front and his position in Nevada, in business as
well as social circles, is assured.

VICTOR K. KNAPP, M. D.

Capable, earnest and conscientious in the performance of
his duties, Hr. Victor K. Knapp, of Nevada, Ohio, enjoys a
reputation which not only extends throughout the city but
far into the surrounding country a'nd which has secured him
an extensive and representative patronage in his region. A
native of Nevada, he was born November 5, 1870, his parents
being Jacob F. and Barbara (Glosser) Knapp. The father
was a native of Richland county, born in 1841, and followed
the occupation of carriage builder until his demise, which
occurred in 1900. The mother was also a native of Ohio, born
in 1841, and preceded her husband in death, passing away in
1899. In their family were the following children: Nora E.,
who married Miner Brown, a groceryman of Upper Sandusky,
by whom she has one child, Wilford E., a carriage maker of
Nevada; Hr. Victor K. : and Emery O., who married Grace

176

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Shroll, by whom he has two children and who follows harness
making at Upper Sandusky.

Dr. Victor K. Knapp received his fundamental education
in his native city, graduating from the Nevada high school
in 1887. He subsequently received a certificate from the
Ohio Northern University at Ada, in the pharmaceutical
department in 1889, and graduated from the Cincinnati Med-
ical College at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1896, with the M. D. degree.
He also attended the Ophthalmological College at Cincinnati,
from which he graduated in 1897, and subsequently improved
his thorough education by a post-graduate course at Phila-
delphia in 1908. In his native city he began to practice in
1896 and there he has ever since continued with increasing
success, being now considered one of the most successful
physicians and surgeons of the town. He specializes in ear,
eye, nose and throat diseases and has given to this line deep
study and particular attention. His general practice, how-
ever, is equally extensive and year by year the list of his
patients is growing. Genial, open-hearted and frank in
demeanor, he inspires that confidence which is so necessary to
a successful cure and is considered by those who call him
more as a friend than as a doctor. He is most careful in
making a diagnosis, yet after, reaching his decision acts
quickly and decisively and is seldom, if ever, at fault in select-
ing the right course for a cure.

At Bowling Green, Ohio, on February 8, 1899, Dr. Knapp
was united in marriage to Miss Blanche E. Luddington, a
daughter of George and Caroline Luddington, of Toledo, Ohio,
where the father is well known as a jewelry merchant. Dr.
and Mrs. Knapp have one son, Robert Frederick.

Public-spirited and progressive, Dr. Knapp has, despite
his arduous and onerous professional duties, found time to
devote to matters outside of his profession affecting the gen-
eral welfare and for two years has served as coroner of Wyan-
dot county greatly to the satisfaction of his constituents. For
nine years he has also been pension examiner. As prosperity
has come to him he has become interested in financial and
other commercial enterprises and is a stockholder in the
Farmers & Merchants Bank at Nevada and a director of the
Nevada Telephone Company. His political views coincide
with the democratic party and fraternally he is a Mason, hav-
ing taken the degrees of the chapter. Along more professional

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

177

lines he is a member of the American Medical Association,
the Ohio State Medical Society and is president of the Wyan-
dot County Medical Society, this latter connection giving evi-
dence of his standing among his colleagues on account of his
ability, experience and knowledge. Having passed, with the
exception of his years of study, all his life within the confines
of Nevada, his record is well known to the residents of this
locality, and in the fact that he has gained widespread confi-
dence and regard, trust and esteem, lies his truest and most
enviable success.

LEO A. FLECK.

Leo A. Fleck is proprietor of a cleaning and tailoring
establishment in Upper Sandusky and the success he has
achieved is the direct and merited reward of his earnest and
intelligently directed labor. He was born August 26, 1878,
in the city which is still his home, and is one of a family of
thirteen children whose parents were Henry and Catherine
(Orans) Fleck, both of whom were natives of Baden, Ger-
many, the father’s birth occurring in 1832 and the mother’s in
1840. Mr. Fleck was a tailor by trade and after coming to
the new world followed that business. He died in 1905 and
his wife, surviving him for about four years, passed away in
1909. Their children were as follows: Frank; Joseph, a
tailor of Upper Sandusky, who married Lena Keller; Theo-
dore, who wedded Sallie Woods and is engaged in the tailoring
business in North Baltimore, Ohio; Henry, who is engaged in
the tailoring business at Upper Sandusky and married Ella
Davidson, by whom he has three children; Catherine, the
wife of H. E. Hedges, a retired farmer of Upper Sandusky,
by whom she has two children; William, a clothier of Upper
Sandusky, who married Fannie 0 ’Brien, by whom he has six
children; Edward, who is engaged in the tailoring business at
Delaware, Ohio, and married Barbara Schweitzer; Sigmund,
who married Agnes Burns, by whom he has one child, and is
proprietor of a restaurant in Arizona; Louis, who married
Rosie O’Brien, by whom he has two children, and is a hard-
ware merchant of Upper Sandusky; Otto, who is with his
brother Sigmund in Arizona; Leo, of this review; Isadore,

178

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

who married Florence Plate and is a clerk in a clothing store
at Upper Sandusky; and George, who wedded Mae Smith and
is clerking in a hardware store in Upper Sandusky and is also
filling the office of city clerk.

Leo A. Fleck was educated in the parochial schools of his
native city and since starting in business here has made rapid
progress in the successful conduct of a dry cleaning and
repairing shop, the only enterprise of the kind in the city.
He is a very energetic, wide-awake and progressive young
man and he draws his trade from all parts of the county.

On the 22d of January, 1913, in Upper Sandusky, Mr.
Fleck was united in marriage to Miss Nina B. Seligman, a
daughter of Lewis and Ella (Atkinson) Seligman, the former
a salesman. Mr. Fleck is a member of the Catholic church
and fraternally of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks,
while in politics he is an independent democrat. He concen-
trates his energies, however, upon his business affairs and is
rapidly building up a trade of gratifying proportions.

SYLVESTER B. GILLETT.

Perhaps no one is better known throughout Wyandot
county as a breeder of fancy stock than Sylvester B. Gillett,
who operates a large farm adjoining Carey and gives his
attention to raising Poland China hogs and fine sheep. He
was born in Delaware county, Ohio, November 21, 1846, and
is a son of Harold and Permelia (Scribner) Gillett, the former
a native of Hartford, Connecticut, and the latter of Virginia.
The father is of French origin and he came to Ohio about the
year 1821, accompanied by his father, J oseph Gillett, who was
at that time an extensive farmer. The father and son entered
seven hundred and forty acres of government land in Dela-
ware county, cleared the timber and engaged in farming and
stock-raising. The grandfather was at that time quite
advanced in years and died a short time after removing to this
state. He was an honored veteran of the Revolutionary war
and was on the staff of General Washington during the entire
period of that conflict. His sword was for some time in
possession of the family but was later made into a com knife
by the subject of this review, who did not then realize its

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

179

historical value as an object of interest to future generations.
The father of our subject lived upon the home farm in Dela-
ware county and became prominent and successful as a cattle
dealer. He died in 1880, at the age of seventy-six. He was
survived by his wife for four years, she passing away at the
age of seventy-eight.

Sylvester B. Gillett was one of a family of nine children,
six daughters and three sons. He attended school in a little
log schoolhouse in Delaware county and after completing the
course of studies there spent one term in the Troy high school.
He improved all of his advantages along educational lines and
was particularly efficient in mathematics, which became his
favorite study. During the summers in his childhood he
worked upon his father’s farm and when he was eighteen
years of age the entire responsibility of the enterprise fell to
him and to his brother Edward, who carried the work forward
steadily and along progressive lines. When Sylvester Gillett
was twenty years of age he taught one term in the local school,
but afterward resumed general farming. The two lads
became interested in breeding and raising fine stock and kept
large herds of Poland China hogs, Shorthorn cattle and Mer-
ino sheep. They built up an extensive and profitable busi-
ness, shipping to the eastern markets, but in 1878 Edward
Gillett went west and, the farm being then too large for the
subject of this review, he went into Morrow county and there
rented land. After six or seven years, however, he returned
to Delaware county and purchased the old homestead, which
he operated for a short time. When he sold it again in 1883
he made a trip to France and there bought a shipment of
blooded French stallions, which he imported into Ohio and
sold here. For eleven years he devoted his time to buying
and selling high-grade draft horses, but in 1889 purchased a
farm adjoining the city and again establishing himself as a
breeder, devoting his time entirely to raising Poland China
hogs and fine sheep. He has probably done more than any
other man in the county toward bettering the grades of stock
raised, for his long experience, together with the profound
study he has given to the business, has made him a recognized
authority. When a boy he worked for a short time under a
civil engineer and studied this profession at night until he
became quite proficient in it, and at present he is often en-
gaged on important engineering work.

180

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

In 1887 Mr. Gillett was united in marriage to Miss Ella A.
Webb, a daughter of William Harvey and Eleanora (Haines)
Webb, who came originally from Carroll County, Maryland,
to Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Gillett have one daughter, Irene, who
is a teacher in the Carey public schools. Mr. Gillett has held
various important township offices, including those of asses-
sor and land appraiser. He is a man well known throughout
the county, not only as one of its foremost stockmen but also
as a man of straightforward and upright character. He
merits the confidence and respect of all with whom he comes in
contact and is numbered among the most substantial citizens
of his community.

CURTIS B. HARE.

While the record of a business man may be less spectacular
than that of a statesman or military leader, it is none the less
essential and none the less valuable. In fact the stable pros-
perity and substantial growth of every community depend
upon its enterprising and reliable business men who day by
day perform their daily duties, advancing slowly yet steadily
and utilizing every means that come to hand, not only to en-
hance their own interests but also to promote the public wel-
fare. To this class belongs Curtis B. Hare, president of the
First National Bank of Upper Sandusky. Honored and re-
spected by all, no man of the city occupies a more enviable
position in its financial circles, not alone by reason of the suc-
cess he has achieved but also owing to the straightforward
business policy he has ever followed.

Mr. Hare was born in Seneca county, Ohio, October 13,
1844, and is a son of Levi and Jane (Berry) Hare. The father,
a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1819, made farming his
life work, and died in the year 1869. His wife, a native of
Ross county, Ohio, came to Wyandot county as early as 1823
with her parents and here passed away at the age of thirty-
nine years. Their children were Darius D., Curtis B., Celes-
tia S., Cyrus D., Albert J., Adrian A. and Wellington R.

Curtis B. Hare pursued his education in the district schools
of Crawford township and by three terms ’ study in the Carey
Academy of Carey, Ohio. He then entered upon his business

CURTIS B. HARE

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

183

career there as clerk in a general store, in which he was em-
ployed for two years. He was ambitious, however, to engage
in business on his own account and at the end of that time
purchased a store in Upper Sandusky, which he conducted for
five or six years. He then disposed of his stock and entered
the store of the Hare Hardware Company, with which he
was connected for thirty years. During that period he con-
tributed much to the success of the business through his close
application, his unremitting energy, his careful management
and his straightforward dealing. He studied the needs and
wishes of his patrons, carried a well selected stock of goods
and as the years passed enjoyed a growing and gratifying
trade. He turned from mercantile interests to concentrate
his attention upon financial affairs, having been elected presi-
dent of . the First National Bank of Upper Sandusky in 1895,
since which time he has remained at the head of the institu-
tion, bending his energies to administrative direction and ex-
ecutive control. He recognizes the fact that the bank which
most carefully safeguards the interests of its patrons is the
most deserving of public support and during his incumbency
•as president he has instituted and followed a safe, conserva-
tive policy that, however, does not hamper progressiveness.

The only interruption to Mr. Hare^ continuous business
career came in 1864, when in response to the country’s call
for aid he joined the army, serving until August 25, 1865,
with the United States Signal Corps at New Orleans. This
entitles him to wear the little bronze button of the Grand
Army of the Bepublic. He has membership in the post at
Upper Sandusky and thus maintains pleasant relations with
his old army comrades.

On the 23d of October, 1872, in Jefferson county, New
York, Mr. Hare was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Brown,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Moses Brown of that county, the
former a merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Hare have become parents
of five children, but three of the number are deceased. Those
living are: Adelaide, the wife of Mark W. Selby, a shoe manu-
facturer of Portsmouth, Ohio; and Levi B., who married Net-
tie Gottfried, of Upper Sandusky, apd has one child, FJiza-
beth. The family attend the Methodist church, of which Mr.
Hare is a consistent and faithful member. His political
allegiance is given to the democratic party, yet, while he
stanchly upholds its principles, he has never sought nor de-

Vol. II— 1 O

184

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

sired office as a reward for party fealty. In all matters of
citizenship he is progressive, and has cooperated in many
movements which have contributed to the material, political
and moral progress of the community. Wyandot county owes
not a little to his efforts and may well class him among her
representative citizens.

PIETRO CUNEO.

The career of Pietro Cuneo is a striking and instruct
tive example of what industrious perseverance in a high
purpose and indefatigable striving after self-betterment
can accomplish, notwithstanding great natural drawbacks
and obstacles. From a poor boy, unable to read and to write,
beginning his career in a foreign land, he attained to a position
of prominence as one of the foremost journalists not only of
Wyandot county but of Ohio, one to whom came high public
honor and who enjoyed the friendship of the most eminent
men of his time. All these accomplishments were achieved
through his own efforts and by his own merit. His life’s
course presents an advancement from step to step which
should prove an inspiration to every youth and keep aflame
the fire of ambition in the most unfortunately placed, the most
patience-tried. From a penniless boy he became a well
known editor and as such an educator of grownups and chil-
dren, a molder of political ideas, opinions and reforms and, to
crown his efforts, a representative of the government of his
selection to the land which he had left in dismal poverty.
Upper Sandusky is proud to have numbered him among her
residents and his memory remains a spur to the good efforts
of many of her residents to learn the lesson which his life
presented.

Pietro Cuneo was born in a small village named Pian de
Cunei, about seven miles inland from the city of Chiavari on
the Italian Riviera, about twenty-six miles south of Genoa.
In his own language he tells of the causes of his emigration
to America.

“My father had heard good reports of America. A neigh-
bor of his had returned home with some money and enthu-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

185

siastic accounts of what he saw here, and the opportunities
for making something of one’s self, which gave my father the
American fever. He saw no hope of ever improving his con-
dition over there. Yes, the poor peasant is born in a rude,
humble home, and there he must die. He cultivates his little
hillside and fields of ground, eats his common coarse meal,
admires the beauties with which nature has surrounded him,
but no light of education enters his mind. There were then
no rolling mills, factories or mechanical establishments to
furnish him steady labor or even to incite him to endeavor.
He was born poor — poor and uneducated he must remain.
Nature has done all she could for him but he is the victim of
cruel tyranny. I tell you, my friends, that it may be, and
undoubtedly is, very pleasing to the eye to behold the very
elaborate, terraced hillsides and valleys, decorated with grape-
vines, fig and olive trees, but to reside and make a living there
is altogether a different thing.

“What is still more unendurable is the stern fact of having
to live under rulers who occupy their position not because of
eminent merits, peculiar qualifications or the voice of the
people over whom they rule, but simply by the right of hered-
itary descent, a principle which was originated in hell — then,
too, with the knowledge that those very despots are placed
over you and your children for life ! There is no alternative
but to bow and submit. I wish you to think for a moment and
to imagine what feelings would creep over you if you were
now to be informed that you had no longer voice in the making
of your laws and the choice of your rulers. In this country
the people are the rulers and the officers the servants. In
Italy a public functionary will pass you with less respect than
if you were a cow. In this country he will stop to inquire as
to the condition of your health and that of your family, espe-
cially if he be a shrewd politician with aspiration for promo-
tion or reelection. He knows that religiously and politically
you stand upon the infallible rock of equality and he treats you
accordingly. Here every citizen worships God as he pleases.
If our public servants prove meritorious we honor them by
reelection ; and if unworthy, we dismiss them and repeal the
bad laws they have enacted. In Italy, although a man may
have the qualifications of an ignoramus and the heart of a
woman, yet, if he be the son of a king he is heir to the throne;
and he, who was born poor, although endowed with the genius

186

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

of a Shakespeare and the wisdom of a Franklin, must die as
he was born — in obscurity.

“But in this country, thanks be to God, to the noble
patriots who established this benign government and the hosts
of its living maimed defenders, the fact that a man may have
been born in a humble cottage and followed the trade of a
tanner, like Grant, split rails, like Lincoln, drove a canal boat,
like Garfield; or taught school like Millard Fillmore, does not
debar him from becoming the honored executive of the nation.
Truly, there are no distinctions but such as man’s merits may
impose. Here the temple of fame opens its portals alike to
all. Still it is my experience that whatever may be a man’s
surroundings or whatever the country where he resides, the
novelty of all around him will wear off and in turn he becomes
a victim of despondency and discontentment. The peasant of
Italy is ignorant, without ambition, and requires much less to
satisfy him. Here our people are ambitious. This is right.
A man without ambition is as worthless and as powerless as an
engine without steam, but the more we have the greater our
desire for what we have not. We take up a poor boy, educate
him, make a governor of him, send him to congress and then,
instead of feeling grateful he will growl and even abandon his
benefactors because they do not keep him there for life or
elect him to the presidency. The Italian peasant feels thank-
ful and happy when he has health, sufficient to eat, and work;
but we keep up the perpetual cry of 4 hard times’ because we
haven’t thousands of bushels of wheat to sell and piles of
greenbacks in the bank; and when we have plenty of wheat
we are not happy because the price is too low. Now, my kind
reader, when you are despondent, when business is dull, don’t
fret because you are not in California, digging up nuggets of
gold, but remember how transcendentally better is your lot
when compared with the condition of the peasants of Italy and
the millions of poor and oppressed of other lands. He who
fails to find a reasonable degree of happiness in America is
truly to be pitied for I know not where he can go to better his
condition. It has often seemed to me that the American
people do not appreciate their institutions and privileges as
they should. I will not say that I prize and enjoy them
better than they, but I do say, most emphatically, that I appre-
ciate them far better than if I had not gone through what I
have.”

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY 187

After taking leave of his friends and the scenes dear to
his heart, young Pietro, then thirteen years of age, in company
with his father, trudged his weary way to the historic port of
Genoa, from which city they were to set sail for America —
the land of promise — March 6, 1849. He says in his writings :
“In sixty days from the time we sailed, we reached Hew York
city. There were about one hundred passengers on that little
ship. We were packed below like criminals and our situa-
tion, especially during the prevalence of sea-sickness, can be
better imagined than described. When I arrived in New
York I could not understand a solitary word of the English
language, had no trade and could not read or write my own
name in any language. What to do was the question. Father
was advised to start me out with an organ and accordingly
he rented one. I shouldered it and went to that part of the
city then called ‘Five Points.’ I rested the organ on a cane
and proceeded to turn the crank. I gathered a few pennies
but soon found the organ too heavy and that I could not carry
it. It was different from those we occasionally see on our
streets. It had a top to it in which were figures that danced
to the tunes played. It was an impractical venture, so father
had to return it to the owner. I have mentioned this to some
kind friends and it got to the ears of some democratic editors,
and when they became displeased with me they called me the
‘ organ grinder. ’ I am guilty, and the worst of it is, I did not
make a success of it. I gave them the best tunes that the
internal machinery of the box and diligent turning of the
crank would afford, took such pennies — and they were few —
as passers-by saw fit to give me. If I had been three or four
years older I think I would have made it go. I would have
added a monkey to the business after a while. I had the will
but not the strength so I made a failure of it. And I tell you
I was discouraged and homesick.”

From New York young Pietro went to Philadelphia, having
been told by newly-made acquaintances that there were oppor-
tunities there, and secured work on a farm in Milford, Dela-
ware, receiving three dollars per month and board. In about
two years, on account of sickness, his father was compelled to
return to Italy, expecting Pietro to follow, but the latter had
begun to master the difficulties of the English language and
decided to remain in America. For the next four years he
drifted from farm to farm in the vicinity of Philadelphia. In

188

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

1852, while working on the farm of Mr. Starn near Camden,
New J ersey, he was urged by his friends and fellow laborers
to go to school and learn to read and write. To quote Mr.
Cuneo :

“Mr. Starn told me that if I wanted to go to school he
would board me for what work I could do about the farm
night and morning, or if I wanted to work steadily he would
give me three dollars per month. I accepted the latter offer
and promised to try to learn at home in the evenings. The
teacher was boarding in the family of Mr. Starn and offered
to teach me; so I purchased a spelling book and tried a few
evenings, but soon became utterly discouraged and gave the
book to a little daughter of Samuel Ross.”

One laborer on the farm, a negro, had a theory all his own
with respect to education. Observing that young Pietro had
given up his studies and not content that he should lose the
opportunities of youth, on his own initiative he made arrange-
ments with a farmer residing in another part of the county for
Pietro to work night and morning and attend the district
school during its sessions. This plan the kindly disposed
negro announced to Pietro and insisted on his acquiescence.
After considerable thought on the subject Pietro decided to
give the plan a trial and at the age of seventeen he again made
an attempt at the mastery of the rudiments of an education
and took his first lesson in learning the alphabet with little
scholars six and seven years of age. He wrote : “I tried hard
to learn and the teacher and pupils took particular pains to
assist me. The teacher, William Snowden — I think was his
name — and the pupils were very kind to me. He became
interested in my welfare and soon after I began the term he
invited me to stand by his side one noon while he was eating
dinner and spell words in the book, which he helped me to
pronounce. The next day I did not go up. The third day he
invited me again. I went up and he asked me why I did not
come up the day before. I told him that I did not know that
he wanted me to do so. He then explained that he was willing
to hear me every noon. I was only too glad to accept. So,
after that, every noon for the balance of the winter I stood by
his side and spelled a lesson while he was eating his dinner.
It was no trouble to him but a great favor to me. He was one
of God’s noblest men. On taking leave of school I asked my
teacher to sell me a copy of 1 Swann’s Instructive Reader’ of

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY 189

which he had several second-hand copies. ‘Why,’ said he,
‘What do you want with it? You can’t read it.’ ‘Well,’ said
I, ‘I will keep it till I can.’ He said I could have a copy for
twelve and a half cents. I took him up and honored my
promise, as I kept the book, read it and have it yet. I was
determined to make a useful man of myself, if possible, and
decided to work hard during the spring, summer and fall of
each year and attend school during the winter months till I
arrived at the age of twenty-one. I had heard good reports
of Pennsylvania and in the fall came to Coatsville, Chester
county, of that state.

“During the next two winters I began to study arithmetic
and geography. After a while I came to a map of the ‘United
States’ and the question in my mind was, What does that
mean? I knew I was in America but I could not understand
what the words ‘United’ and ‘States’ pieant, and I am free
to confess I never thoroughly understood their meaning till
after I studied Young’s Science of Government, De Tocque-
ville’s American Institutions, the History of the American
Colonies and the War of American Independence. One great
obstacle in the way of my progress was the fact that I did not
comprehend the meaning of so many words. In studying
arithmetic I labored under peculiar difficulties, as I could not
understand the rules. Well, I purchased a small pocket dic-
tionary but here I met with new and unexpected difficulties,
for when I resorted to it I was as much at a loss to understand
the definitions as the words themselves. When I read a book
or paper I found so many strange words that I could hardly
get any sense of the subject. I finally resorted to this practice ;
when I found strange words I wrote them on a strip of paper
and, after I was through reading, would examine the diction-
ary and write the definition opposite the word. I carried the
paper in my pocket. When at my work, I would reflect over
what I had read and if I could not remember the words or
their meanings I would pull the slip from my pocket and read
it. To learn to pronounce the words was another great task
and one which I never expected to master.”

In September, 1856, Mr. Cuneo came to Canton, Ohio,
where he worked in the shops of Aultman& Company, carrying
lumber and doing other manual labor at seventy-seven cents
a day. He worked for this firm for the next nine years, except
during certain intervals when he worked on a farm for his

190

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

board while attending school. It was while employed by this
firm that Mr. Cuneo relates the following experience: “Dur-
ing the several years I worked in the machine shops I carried
books in my pocket and when I arrived at the shops a few
minutes before the time to commence work I would seize the
books and study them. Sometimes when deeply absorbed
over those books some of the shop fellows would throw iron
turnings on me, which would come down like vigorous hail,
but when I looked to learn who threw them, no one was to
be seen — that is, the guilty fellow was not visible. It was
very annoying and unkind to me, but great fun for the boys.
When working on the farm I kept a book in the barn and while
the horses ate I read. Thus I gathered a little here and a little
there which has been a great help to me.” He gradually mas-
tered, with great difficulty, one after another of the different
branches taught in the public schools until he received notice
of his promotion to the high school. From time to time he
purchased standard books until he had the nucleus of a
library, and in the fall of 1858 taught in a school where he had
formerly been a pupil. Through reading the Life and Essays
of Benjamin Franklin he was stimulated with a desire to
become a newspaper editor and entered the office of the Stark
County Republican as a printer’s “devil” at the age of twenty-
two. About five months later his parents arrived in Canton
and as he could render them and his sisters no assistance while
an apprentice in a printing office he wras obliged to return to
work in the shops of Aultman & Company. In the fall of 1865,
still ambitious to become an editor, he purchased with his
savings a half interest in the Medina Gazette. In September,
1866, he sold out his interest and purchased the Wyandot
Pioneer, of Upper Sandusky. He changed its name to the
Wyandot County Republican in 1869. Handicapped by inex-
perience and crude mechanical equipment and the fact that
the paper had been a questionable success from its origin, the
young editor had a great struggle at first. He wrote years
later when he celebrated the paper’s fortieth anniversary:
“I purchased the Pioneer of the late General W. T. Wilson,
September 17, 1866, and issued the first paper September 20,
1866. The equipment of the plant then consisted of an old
hand press (which was broken and poorly held together by
bolts), a job press (which had not even an attachment to pull
the paper off the type after the impression had been made),

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

191

a fair supply of type for the paper and a very poor supply of
display type. With such an equipment, a previous experience
of five months as an apprentice, seven months as an editor
and half-proprietor I began my humble career in journalism
in this intensely democratic community. I knew that the
income of the office would not justify paying cash for my help,
especially in the face of threats from local democratic leaders
that they would soon starve me out, so I boarded my help.”

Mr. Cuneo was not starved out, however, but continued to
publish with marked success the Wyandot County Republi-
can, increasing its circulation, gradually bettering the pub-
lication and adding to the mechanical equipment. It was con-
tinued solely as a weekly publication until March, 1902, when
a daily was started in conjunction with the weekly. In 1903
the Wyandot Union, a long established publication, was pur-
chased and merged with the Republican when the publication
became known as the Wyandot Union-Republican. Mr.
Cuneo continued editor and proprietor of this publication to
the time of his death, when it passed to his four sons.

Mr. Cuneo took an active interest in politics, both local,
state and national, attended many conventions and made the
acquaintance of many men of note, numbering among his per-
sonal and intimate acquaintances many famous and eminent
men in national life. Mr. Cuneo was a warm personal friend
of General U. S. Grant, and was appointed postmaster by
him, serving from May 10, 1869, until J uly, 1877. During his
residence in Canton Mr. Cuneo made the acquaintance of
William McKinley, when the latter was but a youth and while
there he married Miss Almyra Miller, a relative of the late
president. The friendship between Mr. Cuneo and Mr.
McKinley continued throughout the life of the latter. In
July, 1901, President McKinley honored Mr. Cuneo with an
appointment as consul to the city of Turin, in the province of
Piedmont, Italy. Mr. Cuneo left for his post of duty in
August of the same year and served the government in that
capacity until December 25, 1905, when he resigned because
of fast failing health. His appointment and service in his
native land was a fitting and logical culmination of an illus-
trious and remarkable career. Returned by the government
of the land of his adoption in an influential capacity to a city
within eighty miles of his birthplace, which he had left fifty-
two years before so poor that while awaiting embarkation he

192

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

passed the night on the cobblestones of the streets, too poor
to buy a bed, is a record indeed and one that should prove an
inspiration to the young man who thinks there are no longer
opportunities. Mr. Cuneo served his country with honor and
credit. He made many friends during his stay in Turin, also
traveled to a considerable extent in the land of his birth. In
consequence of his years of newspaper experience he was a
close observer and student and wrote for publication in his
newspaper many articles describing general conditions and
events of interest in Italy for the edification and delectation
of his readers. While in Turin he made a journey to the place
of his birth. All was practically as he had left it years before,
with few exceptions. The beautiful, olive-clad hills, the pic-
turesque peasantry, even the old house itself was looking as
fresh and as little changed, even to the interior furnishings
and arrangements, as though the farewell had been said but
yesterday. Mr. Cuneo found many of kin who claimed to
be “parenti di prima sangue,” and found a few who could
remember the departure of himself and his father years
before. After his return home Mr. Cuneo remained active in
newspaper work, conducting a department entitled “Ye Old
Editor” until the time of his death, December 20, 1906, which
occurred as the result of a stroke of apoplexy.

Mr, Cuneo was married December 24, 1861, to Miss Almyra
V. Miller, of Canton, who passed away in Upper Sandusky,
December 27, 1883. Ten children were born to this union of
whom five are still living. They are : Laura, the wife of A. F.
Miner of Austin, Illinois; Sherman A., of this city; Edward
Noyes, of Alameda, California; Eva, the wife of N. L. Harmon,
of Homer, Louisiana; and Roscoe Conklin, also of this city.
On July 28, 1887, Mr. Cuneo was again married, wedding Mrs.
Minnie Martin of Magnetic Springs, Union county, who, with
a son, Ray, born to this union, survive. Also surviving at this
writing are: Mrs. John Foppiano, a sister, living in Indian-
apolis, Indiana; and John Cuneo, a brother, of Robey, Indiana.

Mr. Cuneo was always active in the interests of the city
which was the scene of his efforts and activities for so many
years. All movements which had as their object the better-
ment of conditions and the making of life more worth the
living received his cordial support. Always in his writings
he endeavored to instruct, educate, elevate and inspire.
Especially were his efforts in this direction in the interests of

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

193

youth — to encourage them to improve their opportunities and
to strive for the accomplishment of the greatest possible good.
Especially interesting were a series of lectures which he
wrote, published and delivered in many places on many occa-
sions, entitled ‘ ‘ Recollections of Peasant Life in Italy. ’ ’ Hav-
ing lived the. life and known it from actual, intimate expe-
rience, he was able to describe the lot of the unfortunate and
oppressed with rare and marvelous accuracy and to draw
therefrom a great lesson. As illustrative of the contrast of
American life and American opportunities we quote the con-
clusion of these lectures: “True, indeed, that 6 Westward the
star of empire takes its way, ’ and equally true that the heart
of the honest, ambitious American lad looks upward and
onward, in the direction of an honorable career, which is
within the reach of every boy gifted with common sense,
integrity, grit and laudable ambition.”

Mr. Cuneo brings to an end his autobiography as follows:
“In conclusion and in all candor allow me to assure you, dear
reader, that I see nothing in the story of my humble expe-
rience to boast about. Indeed, I have never thought of and
have no intentions of applying for a patent for anything
recorded above. I claim no merits for myself, have done
nothing that no ordinary boy may not so do. Every boy born
in this country has at once the advantage of learning our lan-
guage from his mother’s lips and entering the school door at
the age of six years. I had a harder struggle to learn, what
little I know of the English language than most of our boys
have in acquiring a practical common-school education. In
fact, with me, progress in the way of acquiring knowledge and
property has always seemed slow, hard work, uphill. But
there is a pleasure in diligent study, persistent industry and
practical management. I wish I could impress upon the
minds of my young readers that we are most happy when we
are busy, engaged in accomplishing something useful. The
writing of this long article has been a pleasing task to me.
But may I not hope that the perusal of this simple narration
of facts will cheer the heart of some lads who are depressed
and whose future seems gloomy, as mine did^ Oh, no, I shall
not boast, for the long weary years, the heartaches and
gloomy future of my boyhood and young manhood are far
more vividly impressed on my mind and heart than any joy I
ever experienced. Ho, I claim no merits for myself but attrib-

194 PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ute what little success may have attended my efforts to the
free, common schools of our glorious country and have thus
briefly related my experience, since arriving in America, for
the purpose of demonstrating to our young men that they are
surrounded by golden opportunities which, if properly im-
proved, will enable them in due time to reap a pleasurable
harvest. I close with words and sentiments that I penned a
little over eighteen years ago and which are as warm in my
heart now as they were then: ‘The gratitude I bear toward
those who urged me to go to school and gave me an opportu-
nity to do so; to the teachers and this benign government,
which opened the school room doors to me, shall only fade
away when my heart beats no more. God grant that this, my
adopted country, this beloved land, this paradise for men on
earth, this asylum for the oppressed of all countries, this
Union of States and of hearts, may be as lasting and inde-
structible as time.’ ”

ROBERT McBETIl, Jr.

Robert McBeth, Jr., a prosperous and progressive agri-
culturist of Wyandot county, was born May 13, 1871, and is a
son of Robert and Elizabeth McBeth, the former born Janu-
ary 1, 1831. In the acquirement of an education he attended
country school in Salem township and since laying aside his
books has been engaged in farming, his progressive methods
and practical business judgment bringing him rapid success.
His land is highly improved, being not only provided with an
excellent residence but also with barns, outbuildings, machin-
ery and all conveniences which are used in farming by modern
methods. He engages in general agricultural pursuits and is
likewise extensively interested in stock-raising, breeding and
fattening Hereford cattle, Delano sheep and Poland China
hogs, his stock commanding a ready sale upon the local
market.

Mr. McBeth married, in Upper Sandusky, June 15, 1904,
Miss Grace E. Warner, a daughter of Jacob and Jennie H.
Warner, and both are widely known throughout this commun-
ity as people of sterling and upright characters. Fraternally
Mr. McBeth is identified with the Knights of Pythias, while

ROBERT McBETH, JR

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

197

his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the
Presbyterian church. He is well known throughout the
county and his straightforwardness and enterprising spirit
have gained him the respect of the entire community.

HARRY EDWIN DWIRE, M. D.

While the science of medicine is one of the oldest profes-
sions, enjoying great prestige from time immemorial, it is
assuredly one of the noblest of occupations in its endeavor to
help suffering humanity and allay illness and disease. Un-
doubtedly it has become the most important in its relations
to our existence. One who in his professional duties exempli-
fies its noble character and who gives his best endeavors in
an effort to help his fellowmen is Dr. Harry Edwin Dwire, of
Nevada, Wyandot county, in which city he has now been
located for over ten years. As the years have passed he has
securely established himself in the confidence of the people
and his practice has grown in volume, in conformity with his
ability. From a medical as well as a financial point of view
he is to be considered one of the foremost men in his com-
munity and the high reputation which he enjoys with his
fellow practitioners as well as the general public is highly
merited.

Born on May 13, 1870, in Reed township, Seneca county,
Ohio, he is a son of John S. and Lucy A. (Beard) Dwire, the
former born in the same township and county on December
5, 1839, where he followed agricultural pursuits and also was
active as a school teacher, and the latter also born in that
locality, where she passed away in 1898. Her husband
shortly followed her, his death occurring February 5, 1899.
In their family were the following children: Lumetta B., who
married William G. Setterfield, a farmer of Richland county,
Ohio, by whom she has eight children; Edith D., who died in
1893; Harry Edwin; Emory J., who married Grace Champion,
by whom he has two children, Corliss and Reginald, and who
is teaching school at Valley City, Ohio; and Daisy Pearl, who
died at the age of eighteen months.

In the acquirement of his fundamental education, Dr.
Dwire attended the common school near his home, subse-

198

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

quently graduating from the Marion (Ohio) Normal School
in 1890. He then took a course at the Ohio Wesleyan Univer-
sity, which was followed by attendance at the Eclectic Medical
College at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he received his more spe-
cifically professional training. He graduated from the Georgia
College of Eclectic Medicine and Surgery in 1895 with the
degree of M. D. Even this thorough education did not suffice
him, however, and he subsequently engaged in post-graduate
work in Chicago. Hr. Dwire began in the active practice of the
profession at Tiro, Ohio, there remaining for two years. At
the end of that time he located at Galion, where he success-
fully practiced for a similar period, then removing to Oceola,
where he continued for three and a half years with unabating
success. At the end of that time, in 1902, he left Crawford
county in order to establish himself in Nevada, Wyandot
county. Capable, earnest and conscientious in the perform-
ance of his duties, he had soon established a reputation which
brought him an extensive and representative patronage that
has ever been on the increase. He keeps continually in con-
tact with the progress made in the profession and gives
especial attention to X-ray observation, in which line he has
become an expert. As a member of the Ohio Medical Society,
the Northwestern Medical Society and the American Medical
Association, as well as the Ohio Clinical Society, he keeps in
touch with the eminent men of his profession and in exchang-
ing with them his views upon important medical problems and
questions ever promotes his efficiency and wide knowledge.
Careful in diagnosis, he is firm after reaching a decision and
as he seldom fails to recognize the cause of disease in any
form and knows how to trace it to its source, has succeeded
in bringing many back to health and allaying pain and suffer-
ing in those who consult him. However, a most important
factor in his success is his strong love for humanity and fellow
feeling, which he brings to his work and which inspires in his
patients that confidence which instills in them the desire to
get well — a mental attitude which is today recognized by
every physician as a necessity to a complete cure.

On August 5, 1895, at North Robinson, Ohio, Hr. Hwire
was united in marriage to Miss Grace Smith, a daughter of
H. F. and Harriet (Slaughterbeck) Smith, the former of
whom for many years engaged as farmer and merchant at
North Robinson. Hr. and Mrs. Hwire have four daughters:

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

199

Lucile, Isabelle, J eannette and Virginia. Dr. and Mrs. Dwire
are devoted members of the Methodist church.

Although his professional duties are of such exacting
character that they demand most of his time and attention,
Dr, Dwire interests himself in other matters pertaining to
the public welfare and has actively participated in the polit-
ical life of his community, having served for four years as
councilman, doing efficient service during that period in pro-
moting measures which have proven of distinct value to the
city. He also fosters the cause of education whenever an
opportunity presents itself to better the school system of the
city and for six years has efficiently served as president of the
school board. His service as health officer of the city com-
prises a period of five years — five years which have been filled
with important work undertaken by the Doctor in order to
improve sanitary conditions and prevent contagious diseases.
He gives his support to the republican party, stanchly uphold-
ing its men and principles, and has a comprehensive under-
standing of the party’s ideals and purposes, keeping well
informed upon all public issues that affect the nation. Fra-
ternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, is a member of
the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America.
The handsome family residence, where Dr. and Mrs. Dwire
often entertain a charming circle of friends, and his office
building in Nevada, are both owned by him and he has other
interests which give evidence of his prosperity, having become
one of the substantial men of the city, where he is highly
esteemed and regarded by all who know him on account of his
manly qualities of character, the faithful performance of his
duties and his true American, public-spirited citizenship.

JOHN E. PARKER.

In a history of the business development of Harpster men-
tion should be made of John E. Parker, well known in the town
as a successful general merchant. He was born in Pitt town-
ship, April 8, 1866, a son of William Parker, a native of Eng-
land. The latter was born in 1839 and when eighteen years
of age came to America, settling in Pitt township, Wyandot
county, where he engaged in farming for a number of years.

200

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

He was afterward the proprietor of a large grocery and gen-
eral store in Harpster and his connection with this enterprise
continued until his death, which occurred December 11, 1911.
The mother has also passed away, her death having occurred
when the subject of this review was four days old. In their
family were three children, William, Mary and John E., of
this review.

The last named acquired his education in the public schools
of Newton county, Missouri, whither he was sent when still
a child to make his home with his uncle and aunt. He laid
aside his books at the age of nineteen and then began his inde-
pendent career, returning to Pitt township, where he worked,
upon a farm for several years. He operated this property
in the interest of his father but after the latter opened his
general store in Harpster he became associated in its conduct,
their partnership continuing until the death of William Par-
ker in 1911, since which time Mr. Parker, of this review, has
managed the business alone. He has a well equipped store,
with a stock valued at seven hundred dollars, and his inter-
ests are carefully conducted, his previous experience well
qualifying him for the duties which devolve upon him.

Mr. Parker gives his allegiance to the republican party
and his religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the
Methodist church. His business interests are well con-
trolled and his laudable ambition is leading him into impor-
tant trade relations.

EDWIN F. STEPHAN.

Under the name of the Stephan Lumber Company, Edwin
F. Stephan is conducting a business of extensive proportions.
He may well be called a self-made man and he deserves all
the praise which the term implies, for he started out in the
world to earn his own living when a lad of fourteen. Grad-
ually he has advanced, as he has proven his worth, and since
1898 he has figured prominently as a representative of the
lumber trade of this city. He was born in Upper Sandusky,
November 20, 1869, his parents being Conrad and Catherine
(Fink) Stephan, who are now residents of Upper Sandusky.
The father was born in Germany in 1835 and is a blacksmith

EDWIN F. STEPHAN

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

203

by trade. For many years he remained an active factor in
business circles here but retired in 1900 and is now enjoying
a well earned and well merited rest. His wife was born in 1841
on a farm about three miles south of Kirby, this county.
Their living children are John, Edwin F., George, Emma and
Luella, while Henry, Charles and Lulu are deceased.

At the usual age Edwin F. Stephan entered the public
schools of Upper Sandusky and therein pursued his studies to
the age of fourteen years, when he began earning his own liv-
ing by clerking in a grocery store at a salary of a dollar and
a half per week. He remained in that establishment for four
years, his capability and trustworthiness winning a substan-
tial increase in salary. He afterward served as deputy post-
master for two years and spent four years in a clerical
position in connection with the lumber business. During that
period he carefully saved his earnings until his economy and
industry had brought him a sufficient sum to embark in busi-
ness on his own account in partnership with his brother John.
They opened a restaurant which they conducted for two years
and then sold. The following year, after a three months’ tour
in Europe, Edwin F. Stephan became teller in the Commercial
Bank and in 1898 he formed a partnership with Charles F.
Shealy and under the firm name of Shealy & Stephan engaged
in the lumber business and bought the sash and door factory
then owned and conducted by the John Shealy estate. He
soon mastered the details of the business and became an im-
portant factor in its successful management. The partner-
ship was maintained until 1911, when Mr. Stephan purchased
Mr. Shealy ’s interest and now conducts the business alone
under the firm name of the Stephan Lumber Company. He
has a well equipped sash and door factory and an extensive
lumberyard, which supplies the demand of a trade that has
reached gratifying proportions. In the management of his
interests he displays excellent executive force and adminis-
trative ability and he is notably energetic, prompt and far-
seeing.

On the 24th of October, 1907, Mr. Stephan was married in
Upper Sandusky, Ohio, to Miss Bertha Althouse, a daughter
of Samuel and Sophia (Kuenzli) Althouse, the former one
of the early settlers of Wyandot county, now living retired.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephan are the parents of one son, Paul Sam-
uel, and one daughter, Helen Louise. Mr. Stephan holds

Voi. n— i i

204

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

membership in the Evangelical church and he seeks to promote
the interests and welfare of the city as a member of the Chaim
ber of Commerce. He is held in the highest esteem by all who
know him. His business methods neither seek nor require
disguise, for early in his life he recognized the eternal truth
that industry wins and industry became the beacon light of his
life, constituting the source of his gratifying and enviable
success.

JAMES A. JUVENAL.

James A. Juvenal, deceased, spent his entire life within the
borders of Wyandot county and throughout his active busi-
ness career was successfully engaged in general agricultural
pursuits. His birth occurred in Upper Sandusky on the 24th
of November, 1853, his parents being Jacob and Emily (Rob-
bins) Juvenal, both of whom were natives of Ohio, the former
born in Ross county on the 29th of January, 1823, and the
latter in Perry county in 1829. The father of Mrs. Emily
(Robbins) Juvenal was the proprietor of the first store in
Upper Sandusky. Jacob Juvenal spent his active business
career in the pursuit of farming and was well known and
highly esteemed as a pioneer agriculturist and substantial
citizen. Unto him and his wife were born seven children,
namely: Alice, James A., Charles D., Jacob H., Katherine,
Hester and Martha.

James A. Juvenal acquired his education in the public
schools of Upper Sandusky and after putting aside his text-
books became identified with general agricultural pursuits,
which he followed throughout the remainder of his life, win-
ning and maintaining an enviable reputation as a representa-
tive and prosperous citizen of the community. It was on the
14th of December, 1892, that he was called to his final rest,
passing away in the faith of the Methodist church.

On the 7th of February, 1882, in Crane township, this
county, Mr. Juvenal was united in marriage to Miss Jeanetta
May Smith, who was born on the 16th of August, 1863, her
parents being Joseph M. and Sallie May (Straw) Smith.
The father, a native of Seneca county, Ohio, took up his abode
among the pioneer settlers of Wyandot county and here

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 205

devoted the remainder of liis life to farming and stock-raising,
becoming a prominent and influential citizen of the com-
munity. His daughter, Jeanetta, was born in a log cabin
built by an Indian, named Sarahas, and which remained the
home of the family until she was eleven years of age. Joseph
M. Smith alone cleared the hazel brush from more than four
hundred acres of land, facing and conquering all the difficul-
ties and hardships of life in a pioneer region and continuing
to aid in its growth and upbuilding with untiring zeal and
energy. His demise occurred in 1909, while his wife, who was
born in the year 1839, passed away in 1910. Their children
were as follows: William S., Jeanetta M., Anna V., Eunice
E., David S., Mary C., Sallie M., Joseph M. and George R.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Juvenal were born two children, namely:
Howard R., who is employed as an express messenger; and
Helen I., who resides with her mother. The latter, who makes
her home in Upper Sandusky, enjoys an extensive and favora-
ble acquaintance in the county where her entire life has been
spent, having won the friendship and regard of all with whom
she has come in contact.

JOHN W. WYNKOOP.

Confronting and conquering the difficulties and obstacles
in his path, John W. Wynkoop, of Nevada, has made his
way in the world to one of the foremost positions in his com-
munity, where he now conducts one of the largest general
merchandise establishments. He is highly thought of by all
who know him and well merits the success which he has
achieved by his own efforts and through his energy and abil-
ity. Born in Putnam county, Ohio, May 30, 1848, he is a son
of Isaac and Margaret (Snyder) Wynkoop, natives of Penn-
sylvania, the former born in 1810 and the latter in 1814.
The father was a carpenter and contractor and died in 1870.
The mother, surviving him for twenty-one years, passed away
in 1891. Their numerous family comprised the following
children: William F., Martha J., Artalesia B., Sarah E., John
W., Jerusha J., Mary M., Charles J., Viola, Isaac M. and
Harley.

206

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

John W. Wynkoop was reared in Putnam county until
thirteen years of age, there receiving his first lessons, and
later entered the Republic Normal School at Republic, Ohio.
He subsequently apprenticed himself to the painter’s trade
for a few years and by thrift and industry was enabled in
1877 to set himself up independently in the dry-goods busi-
ness at Arcadia, Ohio, remaining in that place for two years.
He then removed to West Independence, this state, success-
fully trading there for thirteen years, and then settled in
Fostoria, which city he made his home for one year. At the
end of that period, in 1895, he came to Nevada, engaging in
the dry-goods business, and has been successful from the
start. As careful of the interests of his community as of his
own, he has become one of the most influential men not only
of Nevada but of Wyandot county and is highly respected
in business as well as social circles. He gives his attention
to general merchandising, carrying in his establishment
groceries as well as dry goods, his stock representing a
value of about eight thousand dollars. His place of busi-
ness is modernly equipped and he is particular in the selec-
tion of his employes, in order to give the public the best of
service. The lines of goods he handles are always of the
best and complete, so that he is enabled to fill practically every
demand made by his patrons. His success must be ascribed
to his natural ability, his close attention to business and his
fair methods. As his means have multiplied Mr. Wynkoop
has heavily invested in other representative concerns of his
city and is today vice president of the Farmers & Merchants
Bank of Nevada, Ohio. He also owns valuable real estate,
including a business block and three residences in Nevada and
vacant property in Fostoria. He has, moreover, gone forth
to foreign fields for investments, holding stock in the Pan-
American Rubber Company and the Santa Isabella Sugar
Company, both of Mexico.

Mr. Wynkoop has been twice married. His first union
was with Miss Sylvia Strong, of Republic, Ohio, the event
occurring in 1872. After seven }^ears of married happiness
she passed away in 1879, and subsequently Mr. Wynkoop
married Miss Emma G. Gibson, a daughter of John W. and
Susan Gibson, of West Independence, Ohio, the marriage
taking place on March 21, 1889, at Findlay, this state. Mr.
Wynkoop is the father of the following children: Floyd J.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

207

married Blanche Haspaslagh, of Bucyrus, Ohio, and is mana-
ger of his father’s grocery store; they have one child, John C.
The other children are Ralph L., Eunice F. and Allan G., all of
whom live at home.

Public-spirited and progressive, Mr. Wynkoop has always
taken a deep interest in the cause of education and for six
years has served as a member of the school board with result-
ant effect. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church,
and politically he is a republican. His fraternal connections
are with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Odd
Fellows. Ever ready to lend a helping hand in promoting
worthy public enterprises, he has become a forceful element
in the advancement of his community and enjoys the high
respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. Beginning in a
humble position, he has made his way to the top of the ladder
and there is none who grudges him his prosperity.

STEPHEN PIKE FOWLER.

Stephen Pike Fowler, one of the oldest residents in Wyan-
dot county, being now eighty-six years of age and having
spent practically his entire life in this state, has since 1900
been numbered among the retired citizens of Upper San-
dusky. Throughout his active business career he was suc-
cessfully engaged in the pursuits of farming and stock-raising,
owning and cultivating a valuable tract of land in Pitt town-
ship. His birth occurred in Bradford county, Pennsylvania,
on the 1st of September, 1826, his parents being Stephen and
Leefe (Stevens) Fowler. Hr. Stephen Fowler, the father,
was born in Massachusetts in 1789 and his wife in Pennsyl-
vania in 1799. Stephen Fowler was an agriculturist by occu-
pation and also a physician, practicing medicine among the
Indians for many years. It was in the year 1827 that he came
to Ohio, settling in Marion county. His demise occurred in
1847, while his wife was called to her final rest in 1890. Their
children were eight in number, as follows: Finley F., Olive
S., Clark R., Betsy A., Stephen P., Scott M., Leefe and Sarah.

Stephen Pike Fowler began his education in a little log
schoolhouse and continued his studies at Little Sandusky
until eighteen years of age. Subsequently he assisted in the

208

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

work of the home farm in Pitt township until twenty-seven
years of age, when the property was divided and he turned
his attention to the further cultivation and improvement of
the tract which fell to his share, continuing its operation
until 1900. In connection with the production of cereals he
devoted considerable attention to the raising of stock, win-
ning a gratifying measure of success in both branches of his
business. For the past thirteen years he has lived retired in
Upper Sandusky, owning a handsome residence on South
Main street.

Mr. Fowler was twice married, his first union being with
Miss Martha Coon, and of this marriage were born four
daughters: Corilla, who died in infancy, and Bertha A., Edna
Florine and Emma L. On the 18th of December, 1878, at
Springfield, Ohio, Mr. Fowler was united in marriage to Miss
Frances Flago, a daughter of Charles and Mary Flago, of
Urbana, this state. The father, whose birth occurred at Cam-
den, New Jersey, in 1804, was a tailor by trade and passed
away in the year 1857. The mother, whose natal year was
1817, died in 1898. Mrs. Stephen P. Fowler is the only sur-
viving member of a family of seven children.

Politically, Mr. Fowler is a stanch democrat, believing
firmly in the principles of that party. His religious faith is
that of the Universalist church. He is still hale and hearty
at the ripe old age of eighty-six years and is one of the most
highly esteemed and respected citizens of the coimnunity in
which practically his entire life has been spent and the growth
and development of which he has witnessed and aided.

GEORGE W. ECKERT.

George W. Eckert is now living retired in Nevada, Wyan-
dot county, Ohio, after a long and useful career, enjoying the
substantial competence which he has acquired during his long
connection with business affairs of the city. Moreover, he
is entitled to distinction for the service he rendered to the
republic in the Civil war, in which conflict he served for over
four years, making a military record of great credit. He
was born near Syracuse, New York, October 22, 1842, and is a
son of Steven and Blandina (Smadies) Eckert. While a

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 209

resident of the Empire state the father engaged in the manu-
facture of poles which he sold to the boatmen on the Erie
canal, but after coming to Ohio he followed agricultural pur-
suits in Wyandot county. He died in 1849, at the age of
forty-seven years. His wife was born in Ulster county, New
York, in 1809, and died in 1866. She and her husband came
to Antrim township, Wyandot county, When George W. Eck-
ert, our subject, was but an infant. In their family were
twelve children; Nathaniel, George W., our subject; Maria,
Eliza, Luther, Solomon, Jacob, Sarah and four who died in
infancy.

George W. Eckert was educated in the district schools of
Antrim township which he attended to the age of nine years,
when the family moved to Syracuse, New York, where they,
however, remained but one year, at the end of which period
they returned to Nevada, Ohio, where he continued his edu-
cation. He remained upon the home farm until* the Civil war
broke out, when his patriotic spirit led him to enlist in Com-
pany E, Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, also known
as the First Ohio Zouaves, under Captain Shaw. He served
one year in the ranks but when the band was organized became
a member of it. He participated in thirty-six battles and
Sheridan’s famous ride, which was one of the many thrilling
adventures of his army experience. After four years and
one day of valorous service he was honorably discharged near
Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1865. He then learned the car-
penter’s trade, which occupation he followed until 1874, when
he entered the hotel, saloon and livery business in Kirby,
Ohio, so continuing for one year. At the end of that period he
came to Nevada, where for twenty years he conducted a saloon
and then became connected with the farm implement and
buggy business in Nevada, a relationship which continued for
seven years. At the end of that time he was enabled to retire
from active life and now lives in the enjoyment of a com-
fortable competence which assures him of all the conveniences
of life. He owns three valuable business properties and the
residence in which he lives and also holds title to vacant prop-
erty in the city. He also is a stockholder in the Mausoleum
Company of Nevada, Ohio.

At Bucyrus, Ohio, on February 26, 1865, Mr. Eckert was
united in marriage to Miss Harriet Kieifer, a daughter of
George and Sallie A. (Van Voorhies) Kieifer, of Todd town-

210

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ship, Crawford county, the father a prominent agriculturist
of his section. Mr. and Mrs. Eckert are the parents of seven
children, Frank E., George Nathaniel, Monta Alvin, Erma,
Sarah, Vida and Delta.

In his political views Mr. Eckert is a democrat, always
stanchly upholding the principles of his party at the polls.
Although he takes a deep interest in the spiritual and moral
advancement of his community, he gives his allegiance to no
particular church, exemplifying a Christian spirit through all
of his connections without giving preference to any dogma.
He meets his comrades of old through his membership in
the Grand Army of the Republic. Although he has practi-
cally retired from all active business he is still deeply inter-
ested in the progress of his community and champions all
measures intended to further the general cause. He is highly
respected and esteemed by all who know him for his many
high qualities* of character and since locating in Nevada has
not only been an interested witness of the changes that have
taken place but a helpful and cooperant factor in bringing
about the prevailing prosperous conditions.

REV. JOHN R. FORRER.

Rev. John R. Forrer, pastor of St. Peter’s Catholic church
of Upper Sandusky, was born in Zuckenriet, Canton of St.
Gall, Switzerland, on the 7th of February, 1868. He is a son
of Gallus and Elizabetha (Renner) Forrer, the former an ag-
riculturist in Zuckenriet, who passed away May 23, 1907, at
the age of eighty-seven. His wife survives him and makes
her home in Switzerland, having reached the age of eighty-
two. In their family were six children: Gallus, Joseph, John,
of this review; George, Francisca, who died twelve years ago,
and Therese, who lives in Switzerland, where she is taking
care of her aged mother.

Rev. John R. Forrer completed the classical course in the
Collegium Maria Hilf in Schwyz, Switzerland, and afterward
came to the United States, arriving in this country in 1887.
He went immediately to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was for
six years a student in St. Mary’s Seminary, being ordained
at the end of that time to the priesthood of the Catholic church.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

213

This ceremony took place on the 23d of December, 1893, and
was performed by the Rt. Rev. Ignatius Fredericus Horst-
man, D. D., bishop of Cleveland. Soon afterward Father
Forrer was made assistant at St. Stephen’s church in that
city and continued there until June, 1898, when he was ap-
pointed pastor of St. Patrick’s church in London township,
Seneca county, Ohio. On July 7, 1905, he was appointed
pastor of St. Peter’s church, Upper Sandusky, succeeding
Rev. Aloysius Huthmacher, who was at that time transferred
to the important charge of St. Mary’s congregation in Mas-
sillon, Ohio. In Upper Sandusky Father Forrer has done
excellent work during his eight years’ connection with St.
Peter’s church, proving himself both an able business man
and an earnest worker for the spread of the doctrines of
Christianity. He has, indeed, accomplished something
worthy of record among the Catholic people of the city and he
has their love in large measure, while he enjoys also the re-
spect of people of all denominations. He is a man of schol-
arly attainments, most earnest and concentrated in his work,
and is very watchful over the interests of his people, his
words of wisdom proving a strong element in their character
building.

CLINTON D. SMITH.

Perhaps no one is better known throughout Crawford
township as an active, successful and prosperous farmer
than Clinton D. Smith, who since his childhood has lived in
this section and wTho has toda}r achieved a success which,
combined with his many sterling characteristics, gives him a
high position in the general confidence and esteem. He was
born in Hancock county, Ohio, January 2, 1857, and is a
son of a pioneer in the state. His father, David Smith, came
west from Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1822, traveling with
his parents, Jacob and Sarah (Long) Smith. The family
settled in what was then a part of Crawford county, but
which is now comprised in Wyandot, and here the father
took up government land. His tract was entirely unim-
proved and covered with a dense growth of timber, which he
was obliged to clear before beginning the work of develop-

214

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ment. With the lumber cut down he built a crude log cabin
and in this the family resided for some time while the farm
was being developed. Later the father bought land in Han-
cock county and there lived until 1868, when he removed to
the vicinity of Carey and engaged in stock dealing upon a
large scale until his death, which occurred in 1884, when he
was seventy-two years of age. His wife was, in her maiden-
hood, Miss Aurelia Brown, and passed away in 1886.

Clinton D. Smith acquired his early education in the dis-
trict schools of Hancock county and supplemented this by a
course in the Carey public schools, laying aside his books at
the age of eighteen. He was ambitious, energetic and eager
to begin his life’s work, so his father allowed him to work
the farm on shares. He was so successful that in 1884 he
was able to purchase land of his own, upon which he has
since resided. With characteristic energy he developed and
improved the property and his labors are today evident in
its excellent and attractive appearance. Mr. Smith has made
substantial improvements, has built a fine residence, good
barns and outbuildings and has steadily carried forward the
work of development year by year. He annually harvests
good crops and raises only blooded stock, his interest along
this line constituting an important source of income to him.

In 1884 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Lillie
Anderson, a daughter of Isaiah and Elizabeth Anderson, of
Wyandot county. He gives his allegiance to the republican
party and, although he is never active as an office seeker,
has yet been entrusted with public responsibility, having
served capably and efficiently for three years as township
trustee. Through his own labor, enterprise and good man-
agement he has become the owner of a valuable property and
is widely and favorably known in this part of the county
where he has so long resided.

ROSS E. HAGERMAN.

As the owner of a modern and up-to-date drug store at
Nevada, Ross E. Hagerman occupies an important position
among the merchants of his community. He was born at Ada,
Ohio, August 11, 1878, and is a son of Clark and Alice (Mel-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

215

hory) Hagerman, the former a native of Hardin county, Ohio,
born in 1846, and the latter, of Ada, this state, born in 1857.
The father has followed the real-estate business for many
years and now lives at Dunkirk, this state. In their family
were three children, the sisters of our subject being Jessie
and Hazel.

HORACE G. CHAMBERS.

Horace G. Chambers, who since 1895 has been success-
ful in the practice of law in Carey, was born in Hancock
county, Ohio, November 19, 1867. He is a son of David
and Sarah A. (Sargent) Chambers, both natives of Ohio, the
former born in Liberty township, Crawford county, Decem-
ber 24, 1833, and the latter in Hancock county in 1838. The
father was for a number of years a prominent farmer in
Hancock county, dying January 2, 1910. In his family were
seven children. Nora E. married Solomon Esterly, a farmer
of Hancock county, and has three children. David U. is
engaged in farming in Hancock county. He married Miss
Isadora Bright, and they have live children. Horace G.
is the subject of this review. Della became the wife of Har-
vey E. Dickey, a contractor and builder of Findlay, Ohio.
They have two children. Clinton A. is a farmer in Hancock
county. He married Rose E. Lindower and has four chil-
dren. Cory S. is also engaged in farming in Hancock
county. His wife was, in her maidenhood, Miss Mary
Hartle, and they have one child. Wesley is farming in Han-
cock county. He married Ethel Searfoss and has one child.

The district schools of his native county afforded Horace
G. Chambers his early educational opportunities and when
he was seventeen years of age he entered the academy at
Fostoria, from which he was graduated in 1888. He after-
ward attended the Adrian College at Adrian, Michigan, for
one year and wras then for tw^o years a student in Wesleyan
University at Delaware. After laying aside his books he
turned his attention to teaching, an occupation in which he
engaged for three years, or until he w^ent to Findlay, where
he studied law, passing his examination and winning admis-
sion to the bar in 1895. In the same year he opened an

216

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

office in Carey and has since continued in the active practice
of his profession here. He is known as a strong and able
lawyer, whose knowledge of legal principles is comprehen-
sive and exact and whose application of points of law always
correct and logical. His ability has drawn to him a large
and representative clientage, connecting him with a great deal
of important litigation.

On the 30th of October, 1901, Mr. Chambers married,
in Carey, Catherine Zahn, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Julius Zahn, the former a retired farmer living in that city.
Mr. and Mrs. Chambers have one daughter, May C., and they
reside in a comfortable and attractive home. Mr. Chambers
is a member of the Wyandot County Bar Association and
fraternally is connected with the Masonic lodge and chapter
and the Knights of Pythias. He gives his political alle-
giance to the republican party and since 1900 has been three
times mayor of Carey and for several terms a member of
the town council. In both professional and public life he has
made his influence felt as a force in progress and he is
entitled to a foremost place among the representative citi-
zens of this community.

V. V. POOL.

The career of Y. Y. Pool is again proof of the fact that
this is the young man’s age and the age of the young man’s
success. Although not yet twenty-eight years of age, he is
the owner of a profitable garage and machine shop in Nevada.
Ohio, which he has conducted with ever increasing success
since 1910. He was born in Crane township, Wyandot
county, June 25, 1885, and is a son of Frank M. and Jessie
F. (Walton) Pool, the former born in Crane township, this
county, in 1855, and the latter in Sycamore township in
1857. The father for many years followed farming and
also was an efficient school teacher for twenty-six years, being
very successful along that line. Both parents still live and
make their home in Crane township. In their family were
the following children : Minnie, who died at the age of three
years ; Winona, who married A. R. Stucky, a well driller and
supply dealer at Bucyrus, Ohio, by whom she has three

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

217

children; Ira, on the old home farm; Virgil V., of this
review ; and Daisy and Lucille, both at home.

V. V. Pool was reared under the parental roof amid an
environment conducive to the development of the highest
qualities of manhood, early having instilled in his youthful
consciousness lessons on the value of thrift, diligence and
honesty. He attended district school in Crane township until
he was nineteen years old, giving, however, during that
time, his father assistance in farm work. He subsequently
remained on the homestead until twenty-one years, at which
age he began to work out by the month for one year and then
rented a farm which he cultivated for a similar period. Com-
ing to Nevada, he in 1910 there opened a garage and machine
shop and has been ever since successful in its conduct. He
is an expert on machinery and in gas and gasoline engine
work.

Mr. Pool was twice married, his first union being with
Miss Cyressia F. Larick and took place on March 24, 1909.
The young wife died twenty-six days after her marriage, on
April 18, 1909. He then married Miss Ethel L. Fox, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Fox, of Antrim town-
ship, the marriage taking place at Nevada on August 31,
1910. To this union is born one child, Bernadine.

In his political affiliations Mr. Pool is a republican and
keeps well informed upon all issues that affect his commu-
nity or the policies of the state and nation. Fraternally he
is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He has demonstrated
his ability along commercial lines and as owrner of a flour-
ishing business concern occupies an important position in
the life of the community. Public-spirited and progressive,
he takes part in all movements undertaken in the interests
of the city and is ever ready to participate in the promotion
of worthy public enterprises.

FREDERICK BERG.

Frederick Berg, the oldest druggist in Upper Sandusky,
has here been engaged in business along this line for the
past thirty-six years and since 1910 has conducted his enter-
prise under the firm name of F. Berg & Son. His birth

218

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

occurred in Mansfield, Ohio, on the 11th of February, 1851,
his parents being Conrad and Rachel (Yon Stein) Berg,
natives of Germany. Their children were six in number,
namely: Frederick, Katie, George, John, Margaret and Mary.

Frederick Berg attended the graded and high schools of
his native town until fourteen years of age and remained on
his father’s farm in Salem township, Wyandot county, until
1873, assisting in the work of the fields. When a young man
of twenty-two years he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and entered
the employ of his uncle, George P. Yon Stein, a dealer in
men’s furnishing goods, remaining in his service until 1877.
In that year he came to Upper Sandusky and embarked in
the drug business in partnership with John H. Yon Stein,
the relation being maintained with mutual pleasure and profit
until 1910, when his son, Karl, purchased the interest of Mr.
Von Stein. The business is now conducted under the name
of F. Berg & Son and the stock of the concern, valued at seven
thousand dollars, includes drugs, stationery, paints and wall
paper. As above stated, Mr. Berg is the oldest druggist in
Upper Sandusky and has always enjoyed an enviable pat-
ronage, owing to his attractive and well selected line of goods
and his straightforward, reliable business dealings. In con-
nection with his drug establishment he also operates a cir-
culating library. He is likewise a stockholder in the Citi-
zens Savings Bank and has long been numbered among
the prosperous and representative residents of the com-
munity.

On the 18th of September, 1877, at the homestead of the
bride, near Kirby, Ohio, Mr. Berg was united in marriage
to Miss Lizzie Ash, her father being John Ash, a pioneer
agriculturist of Wyandot county. Mr. and Mrs. Berg have
three children, namely: Clara, the wife of Peter Frank, Jr.,
who acts as county auditor of Wyandot county and by whom
she has one child, Irene; Karl, who is engaged in the drug
business in partnership with his father; and Arthur, deputy
auditor of Wyandot county, who wedded Miss Adaline Sheck,
and has one child, Dorothy.

In his political views Mr. Berg is a democrat and for
sixteen years has acted as a member of the board of educa-
tion, doing efficient and valuable service in this connection.
He belongs to the Royal Arcanum, the Mutual Aid Benefit
Society of Upper Sandusky and the National Union, acting

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

219

as collector in the last named. His religious faith is indicated
by his membership in St. Paul’s Lutheran church. He is
known to all his friends and acquaintances as a man of gen-
erous impulses, of kindly spirit and genial disposition, while
in commercial circles he is recognized as a first-class busi-
ness man.

CHARLES CLIFFORD CARR.

Charles Clifford Carr, street commissioner of Carey, is
a man to whom success has come as a result of earnest labor,
close application and intelligently directed energy. He was
born on his father’s farm one mile north of Carey, in Craw-
ford township, May 16, 1866, and is a son of Daniel and
Sarah (Persinger) Carr, the former a native of Wayne
county, Ohio, born September 25, 1824. The father moved
to Wyandot county in 1833 and here carried on general farm-
ing until his death, which occurred in 1909. The mother of
our subject has also passed awTay, her death having occurred
in 1894.

Charles C. Carr acquired his education in the district
schools of Crawford township and after laying aside his
books engaged in business in Carey for some time. For
twenty years he was in partnership with his brother, Walter,
in the teaming business and in general contract work, in
both of which occupations success attended their well directed
efforts. Recently, however, he was elected street commis-
sioner of Carey and is concentrating his attention upon the
affairs of this office. He has decided views upon matters of
civic improvement and so far has carried out his plans to
the satisfaction of all concerned.

In 1897 Mr. Carr was united in marriage to Miss Idella
Dipert, a daughter of John and Phoebe Dipert, of Carey.
They have two daughters, Grace Lucile and Justine. Mrs.
Carr belongs to the Evangelical church. Mr. Carr is a
worthy representative of that public-spirited, useful and
helpful type of men whose ambitions and desires are centered
upon those things which promote the most permanent good
of the greatest number, and the scope of his influence has
extended to many lines of municipal activity. His business

220

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

record also deserves commendation, for he has displayed
great ability in achieving results and has at all times
employed methods which will bear the closest investigation
and scrutiny.

PETER KRUPP.

Since 1894 Peter Krupp has lived upon a farm of one hun-
dred and eighty-four acres on section 9, Crawford township,
and by earnest and persistent work along practical agricul-
tural lines has made it one of the best improved and most
valuable properties in this part of the county and gained
for himself a high place among representative agriculturists.
He is a native son of this state, born in Seneca county, No-
vember 4, 1852, his parents being Anthony and Magdeline
(Eisenbeisz) Krupp, natives of Germany. The father was
born in 1827 and in 1833 was brought to America by his par-
ents. His father, the grandfather of the subject of this review,
Jacob Krupp, came to Seneca county in pioneer times and
bought a tract of wild land covered with a dense growth of
timber. With the lumber which he cut, he built a log cabin, in
which he and his family resided for some time and in which
the subject of this review was born. Later Jacob Krupp
erected a modern brick house, which was completed in 1860,
and for many years carried on agricultural pursuits upon his
original property, which was afterward developed by the
father of our subject, who died on the home farm in 1905, at
the age of seventy-eight. He was successful as a general
farmer and was also well known as one of the best veterinary
surgeons in that part of the state and as an extensive dealer
in high-grade horses. The mother of our subject came to
America with her parents when she was one year old. She
passed away in Seneca county in 1899.

Peter Krupp is one of a family of twelve children, five of
whom are still living. His childhood was spent in Seneca
county, where he attended the little log parochial school until
he was fifteen years of age, after which he went to the district
school in order to become proficient in the English language.
When he laid aside his books he worked upon the home farm,
remaining there until his marriage, which occurred when he

PETER KRUPP AND FAMILY

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

223

was twenty-six years of age. At this time he bought, with
the assistance of his father, a farm in Reed township, Seneca
county, which by hard work he greatly improved, becoming,
in the course of years, a successful and able agriculturist. In
1894 he purchased one hundred and eighty-four acres on sec-
tion 9, Crawford township, Wyandot county, upon which he
today resides. He found this property in poor condition and
badly run down but since locating here has made substantial
improvements, building a fine modern house and a large barn.
In his farming operations he has constantly followed the
most progressive and practical methods and his work is evi-
denced in the excellent condition of his property, which shows
the care and skill of an able agriculturist.

In 1878 Mr. Krupp was united in marriage to Miss Eliza-
beth Ruffing, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Ruffing, of
Huron county. They have ten children: Charles, Leo, Clar-
ence, Otto, Sullivan, Paul and Elizabeth, twins; Vincent,
Esther and Loretta. Mr. Krupp is independent in his politi-
cal views, with a general tendency toward democracy, but
he votes always for the man whom he considers best fitted for
the position without regard to his party affiliations. He is a
devout Roman Catholic, giving liberally to charity and ex-
emplifying in his upright and honorable life the doctrines
which he professes. He is a worthy representative of that
class of citizens, who lead quiet, industrious, earnest and use-
ful lives and constitute the best portion of any community.

JAMES H. GROVE.

Long prominent in educational work, James H. Grove
now fills the position of superintendent of schools at Nevada,
Ohio, discharging his duties with ability and lasting results.
The splendid esprit de corps which prevails among the teach-
ers under his jurisdiction has been fostered by him, practical
systems have been introduced and ideas have been realized
which have made the force of teachers under him one of the
best in the state. His work, therefore, has been of vast
importance to the inhabitants of Wyandot county, as largely
by his guidance are molded the views and principles of the
coming generation. Mr. Grove is a son of Harrison and

Vol. II— 1 2

224

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Lydia (Spenny) Grove and was born in Antrim township,
this county, February 6, 1876. The father, a native of
Perry county, followed agricultural pursuits and died about
thirty-four years ago at the age of forty-one. The mother
was born in the same county as her husband about seventy
years ago and still lives in Nevada. After the death of Mr.
Grove she married Captain I. Bacon, a farmer, who passed
away January 24, 1913. By her first husband there were
born the following children: J. E., Emma, Aaron A.,
deceased, Borsey L., James IL, our subject, and William H.
By her marriage to Captain Bacon there was one child, Carl.

James H. Grove attended the country school in his native
district and the Nevada public schools, graduating from the
high school in 1897. His more thorough education which
especially prepared him for his educational work was
received at Wooster and Ada Universities. He began his
career as a teacher by work in the country schools, in which
he was engaged for three years before accepting the office of
principal of the Nevada high school, in which position he
remained with conspicuous success for five years, when he
was elected to the office of superintendent, which he has now
filled for seven years. During that time he has demonstrated
brilliant ability as a teacher, an executive ability of no mean
order and a general understanding of business principles in
promoting the cause of education. His work finds only
the highest commendation and is greatly appreciated by the
general public.

At Nevada, Ohio, on June 25, 1907, Mr. Grove married
Miss Acsah Humiston, a daughter of Alva and Ellen
(Squires) Humiston, and they have two children, Ruth and
Martha. Mr. Grove is president of the county board of
school examiners and in that capacity has done much toward
raising the standards demanded from those who intend to
engage in the teacher’s profession. He is a democrat in his
political views, stanchly upholding the candidates of his
party and fulfilling his obligations as a citizen painstakingly,
although he has never cared to actively participate in the
political fray. His religious faith is that of the Lutheran,
church. Prominent in fraternal circles, he belongs to the
Masonic order and is also keeper of the record and seal in
the Knights of Pythias. He takes a deep interest in lit-
erary work, in which he is actively engaged to some extent,

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

225

and owns valuable residential property. His life course is
worthy of the highest praise, as he gives his unremitting
efforts to the highest interest of the general public without
consideration of financial reward, as, doubtless, a man of his
ability could achieve more gratifying results from a financial
standpoint in commercial life. However, Mr. Grove never
gives any consideration to this thought, for he finds happi-
ness and rich reward in what he can do as a teacher of the
young to promote the public welfare.

CLARENCE G. ROBERTS.

Clarence G. Roberts, successfully engaged in merchandis-
ing at Little Sandusky as the proprietor of a general store,
is a progressive and enterprising young business man of the
town and a worthy native son of Wyandot county. His birth
occurred in Tymochtee township on the 20th of August, 1886,
his parents being Benjamin E. and Catherine (Althouse)
Roberts, who are likewise natives of this county, the former
born in Tymochtee township in 1857 and the latter in Eden
township in 1858. Benjamin E. Roberts, an agriculturist
by occupation, now makes his home in Pitt township and is
well known and highly esteemed throughout the community
as a substantial and representative citizen. Unto him and
his wife were born five children, namely: Clarence G., of this
review; Gertrude; Edna; Nina; and one who died in infancy.

In the acquirement of his education Clarence G. Roberts
attended the schools of Little Sandusky until eighteen years
of age and subsequently worked at the carpenter’s trade for
one year, becoming at the end of that time a street car
motorman in Toledo, Ohio. He next worked as a machinist
for one year and then returned to his father’s farm, remain-
ing thereon until 1913. In that year he purchased the gen-
eral store of Edward C. Richmond at Little Sandusky and
has since conducted the same with gratifying success, car-
rying a large and well selected line of goods and being
accorded a liberal patronage.

On the 27th of March, 1907, at Harpster, Ohio, Mr. Rob-
erts was united in marriage to Miss Maud Weist, her father
being John Weist, a farmer of Pitt township. Our subject

226

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

and his wife have two children, Katherine and Helen. Mr.
Roberts gives his political allegiance to the democracy and
fraternally is identified with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. His many good qualities, his social manner, his
genial disposition and his cordiality have won him a large
circle of friends.

CHARLES A. ROBBINS.

A young man of but twenty-four years, Charles A. Rob-
bins holds the important position of manager of the gas com-
pany at Nevada, Ohio, giving thereby an able demonstration
of his ability along commercial lines and of his capacity for
systematic and efficient work. Since he has been in charge
of the company complaints have decreased in a gratifying
way and the service has improved to such an extent that his
work can be considered of a generally beneficial character.

Charles A. Robbins was born in Hastings, Adams county,
Nebraska, on April 28, 1889, and is a son of John and Binda
(Ball) Robbins, the former born at Forest City, Missouri,
in 1859, and the latter in Hamilton, Canada, in 1861. The
father is a well driller by occupation and makes his home in
St. Joseph, Missouri, where he is favorably known. In the
family of Mr. and Mrs. John Robbins are the following chil-
dren: Myrtle M., who married John Smith, of St. Joseph,
Missouri; Losy E.; Judson A., who is married and now resides
at Bakersfield, California; Charles A., of this review, and
Howard A.

In the acquirement of his education Charles A. Robbins
attended public' school at St. Joseph, Missouri, until he was
seventeen years of age and has since that time been ever con-
nected with the gas and oil business, being variously employed
in different places from Cuba through old Mexico to Cali-
fornia. He is now manager and district agent of the Nevada
branch of the Ventura Gas Company of Lima. He has been
most successful in his work, his ability being largely built
upon his former extensive experience, and he is a practical
man in the gas business. His efficient methods are highly
commendable and find appreciation‘by the general public and

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

227

lie has instituted a number of new measures and systems
which have been instrumental in improving the service.

In his political views Mr. Robbins is a democrat, stanchly
upholding the principles and candidates of that organization.
His religious faith is that of the Methodist church. He is
connected with the Knights of Pythias and is also a member
of the Masonic order, exemplifying in his life the benevolent
practices of the order. Mr. Robbins is a shrewd and able
young man, a man typical of the times, and has made a con-
spicuous step toward a prominent place in life. He is pop-
ular in Nevada, where he has made many friends and is con-
sidered by old and young one of the efficient and coming young
business men of the community.

WILLIAM H. RIESER.

William H. Rieser, who is successfully engaged in the
conduct of a meat market as a member of the firm of Stras-
son, Rieser & Eink of Upper Sandusky, is a worthy native
son of Wyandot county, having been born in Mifflin town-
ship on the 17th of July, 1883. His parents were William H.
and Mary (Schick) Rieser, the former born in Wyandot
county, Ohio, in 1838, and the latter in Virginia in the year
1857. William H. Rieser, Sr., followed general agricultural
pursuits throughout his active business career and passed
away in 1895. His widow survives and makes her home at
Upper Sandusky. Their children were seven in number; as
follows: John, who passed away at the age of nine years;
Charles, who wedded Miss Marjorie Seebach, and is a hide
buyer residing at Upper Sandusky; George, who died when
twelve years old; Lena, who gave her hand in marriage to
Henry Ulrich, an agriculturist of Mifflin township, by whom
she has three children, Nina, Earl and Emery; Lizzie, who is
the wife of William Zahn, a salesman of Upper Sandusky, by
whom she has four children, William, Charles, Mildred and
Robert; Julia, the wife of M. McCleary, an agriculturist of
Mifflin township, by whom she has one son, Charles; and Wil-
liam H., of this review.

The last named attended the district schools of his native
township until sixteen years of age and afterward worked as

228

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

a farm hand until he had attained the age of twenty-five.
He subsequently spent four years as a breeder of horses and
on the expiration of that period came to Upper Sandusky
and entered the meat business in partnership with his brother
Charles. The latter disposed of his interest in 1912 and our
subject is now engaged in business in association with T. 1).
Strasson and W. W. Fink under the firm name of Strasson,
Rieser & Fink. He has attained a gratifying measure of suc-
cess for one of his years and is widely recognized as one of
the enterprising and prosperous young business men of the
community. He is the owner of valuable race horses, includ-
ing Lady Ashland, with a record of 2:08, McLan, 2:15, and
Judge H. C. Fox.

Mr. Rieser has been twice married. On the 4th of Novem-
ber, 1904, he wedded Miss Laura Swartz, who passed away in
1907, leaving two children, Clara and Floyd. On the 22d
of August, 1908, in Gallia county, Ohio, he was again mar-
ried, his second union being with Mrs. Della Poindexter, a
widow with one son, Carl. By this marriage there are also
two children, Ray and Grace.

In politics Mr. Rieser is a democrat, while his religious
faith is indicated by his membership in St. Paul’s Lutheran
church. Fraternally he is identified with the Red Men and
the Maccabees. In the county where his entire life has been
spent he is widely and favorably known, the circle of his
friends being almost coextensive with the circle of his
acquaintances.

HERBERT NEWHARD.

Herbert Newhard, who for the past sixteen years has
been postmaster of Carey, proving efficient, conscientious and
capable in the discharge of his duties, is a native of Ohio,
born in Upper Sandusky, March 31, 1865. He is a son of
Jacob Newdiard, who was born in Allentown, Lehigh county,
Pennsylvania, in 1831, becoming subsequently one of the
leading clothing merchants of Carey. He conducted a large
and profitable retail establishment in this city until his death,
which occurred June 2, 1895. By his honorable and upright
life he had gained the respect and esteem of his fellow citi-

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

229

zens and he was, moreover, honored as a veteran of the Civil
war, having served as second lieutenant in Company F, One
Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He received
his honorable discharge from that regiment December 23,
1862, on account of disability. He was twice married. He
wedded, first, Matilda Bixby, who was born in Champlain,
New York, in 1833, and who died in 1876. To their union
were born six children: Carrie; one who died in infancy; Jay
P., a merchant in Carey, who married Miss Allie Shuman,
by whom he has three children; Grove F., a director in the
Ely & Walker Dry Goods Company of St. Louis; Herbert,
of this review; and Winfield J., a clothing merchant in
Carey, who married Dellie Heffleman, by whom he has three
children. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Newhard
married her cousin, Miss Mary R. Bixby, who survives her
husband, making her home in Carey. They were the parents
of five children: Mabel, who lives in Virginia, Minnesota;
Robert ; Persis, who is engaged in teaching in Blissfield, Michi-
gan; Horace B., who is assistant manager and head of the
hosiery department in the store conducted by Ely & Walker
in St. Louis; and George J., bookkeeper for the National Lime
& Stone Company at Carey.

Herbert Newhard acquired his education in the public
schools of Carey, attending until he was fourteen years of age.
Since laying aside his books he has been connected at intervals
with the city postoffice in some capacity and when not so
engaged has worked as telegraph operator in the employ of
the Western Union Company, becoming very proficient at this
occupation. At one time he spent two and a half years in
Texas and thirteen months in Mexico but for the past sixteen
years has resided in Carey, giving his attention to the duties
which devolve upon him in the capacity of postmaster. The
length of his service is the best proof of his capability, which
is further evidenced in the excellent results which have
attended his labors.

Mr. Newhard married, on the 30th of October, 1891, at
Carey, Miss Ida Hackenberger, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
John R. Hackenberger, of Canal Dover. Mr. and Mrs. New-
hard became the parents of the following children : Guilford,
who died at the age of nine ; Mary, who is clerk in the Carey
postoffice; Caroline; Harriet, who died at the age of two years
and a half; Herbert, Jr.; Walter; and Russell.

230

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Newhard is connected with the Masonic order. He
gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has
always taken an active interest in the welfare and growth of
the city, which during his two years’ service as secretary of
the board of public affairs he did much to promote. He also
served as township treasurer for four years. Throughout
a long career in the public service he has proven himself
reliable, conscientious and trustworthy in every respect and
his efforts in political and business life are such as commend
him to the confidence and good will of all with whom he comes
in contact.

PETER FRANK, Jr.

Peter Frank, Jr., county auditor of Wyandot county,
with residence in Upper Sandusky, was born in Salem town-
ship, September 14, 1880, and is a son of Peter and Catherine
(Weber) Frank, natives of Germany. The father came to
Ohio when he was still a child and after reaching mature
years engaged in farming. He is still active in this line of
work, living on two hundred and seventy acres of land in
Salerti township. His wife came to America at the age of
twenty-one and died in Ohio in 1904, when she was fifty-five
years of age. In this family were seven children: Theodore
W., who is engaged in farming in Salem township and who
married Julia Zahn, by whom she has one son, Carl; Edwin,
who died at the age of four years; Peter, Jr., of this review;
and Fred, Albert, Louise and Harmon M., who are engaged
in farming with their father.

Peter Frank, Jr., acquired his education in the district
schools of his native section, attending until he was eighteen
years of age. After he had laid aside his books he taught for
one term and then spent one year and a half in the Lima
Business College. He began his independent career as clerk
in the Commercial Bank, spending one year and a half in
that capacity. At the end of that time he was called to public
service as deputy county auditor and his six years in that
capacity constituted a splendid preparation for his work as
county auditor, to which office he was elected in 1908 and
again in 1910. He has made a very satisfactory record, giving

PETER FRANK, JR.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 233

a public-spirited administration in Ms prompt and capable
discharge of the duties which devolve upon him. He is now
one of the directors of the Citizens Savings Bank.

Mr. Frank married, on the 25th of June, 1908, at Upper
Sandusky, Miss Clara Berg, a daughter of Fred and Elizabeth
(Ash) Berg, the former a prominent druggist in this city.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank became the parents of a daughter,
Irene E.

Mr. Frank gives his allegiance to the democratic party
and has always been stanch and loyal in his support of pro-
gressive public measures. He is a member of St. PauFs
Lutheran church. His life has been that of a man who has
worked ably and well in the public service, seeking always
the good of the community before his personal interests and
winning that success which comes as a result of earnest, per-
sistent and honorable labor.

JOHN OWEN, Jr.

John Owen, Jr., was born in Montgomeryshire, north
Wales, June 7, 1814. He was the eldest son of John and
Grace (Humphreys) Owen, both natives of Montgomery-
shire. The family emigrated to America in 1820, coming
direct to Delaware county. It then consisted of three sons,
John, Jr., Samuel and Cadwallader. A daughter, Margaret
J., was born in this country. They were Welsh, spoke the
language and knew no English. John Owen, Sr., was an
experienced mason, familiar with all lines of his trade. On
his arrival, he immediately found work among his own people
and it was not long before he attained sufficient command of
English to enable him to widen the sphere of his business
operations. This enabled him to extend the field of his work
and he found employment as far east as Mount Vernon, west
to Bellefontaine and north into the Wyandot reserve among
the Indians. Near the end of 1823, through his acquaintance
and the recommendation of Rev. Benjamin Chidlaw, he
secured the contract for the building of the Wyandot Mission
church at Upper Sandusky from Rev. James B. Finley, the
resident missionary. Early in April, 1824, he moved his
family to Upper Sandusky, occupying a small one-story, two-

234

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

room log cabin, near the old-time ford, on the mission farm.
This was convenient to his work. Unlike builders of today
who have all their material prepared and furnished to hand,
he had to go to the quarry and to the forest and prepare and
collect his material on the building site before the actual
work of building was begun. As soon as weather conditions
permitted he opened up a quarry in the bed of the Sandusky
just above the ford. There with the aid of the help of Ben-
jamin Herbert he quarried the rock for the walls, built his
lime kiln on the bank above and burned his lime. In the
timber nearby he cut his lath timber and split his lath, pil-
ing them up neatly and protecting them from sun and
weather. William Watkins, the carpenter, and a helper from
southern Ohio were busy in the woods preparing their
material. Herbert and Watkins were both Welshmen and
residents of Radnor, Delaware county.

At that time John Owen, Jr., was ten years of age and,
like all pioneer bo}^s, had to work wThen there was work to
be done. His task was to drive the team and haul the rock
and other material to the church site. When not so employed
he attended the Indian mission school on the hill crest above
the ford — along with his brothers. That school of sixty or
more pupils, over fifty of whom were Indian children, was
the first he ever attended, his teacher being a Miss Harriet
Stubbs of Dayton, a relative of Judge McClain’s. When the
material was collected on the site the building of the church
began and by early November the walls were completed. He
then returned with his family to Radnor, leaving Watkins
to complete the enclosing and finishing. The following
spring he returned and lathed and plastered the building.
Every Monday he would come up on horseback, bringing
John, Jr., behind him, that he might return with the horse
for use on the farm during the week and at its end return
for his father’s homecoming and Sunday rest. The quarrv
was operated as late as the early ’50s and then abandoned.
Its site was plainly visible as late as 1860 but has since become
filled with drift and sediment. The location of the lime kiln
is still plainly visible. The church builder continued the
business of contracting and building for years, often away
from home months at a time. On August 9, 1851, the wife
and mother passed away at Radnor. This was a serious
blow to the family. The farm was then sold, the family

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

235

removing to Upper Sandusky. On October 5, 1857, the
builder answered the summons that comes to all alike and
passed away at Mount Gilead while on a visit to his son,
Rev. C. H. Owen, aged seventy-one.

The burden of .farm operations, owing to his father’s
occupation, fell upon John, Jr. He often said he knew from
dear experience what it was to be a pioneer boy in the Ohio
backwoods. He remained at home managing and conduct-
ing farm operation, the younger boys going to school. The
family have always been known by the name Owens in this
country. The final “s” does not belong to the name. This
came through combining the possessive with the name, and
was only discovered when John, Jr.’s cousin wrote from
Wales asking why this “s” was added. The boys had heard
the possessive form so often it was concluded that was the
way to spell it.

In 1832, when twenty-four years old, he served under
indenture at Delaware as a tailor’s apprentice for nearly
four years. In 1836 he went to Columbus and worked as a
journeyman three years. He then returned to Radnor and
opened up a shop. Fortune favored him and he soon had
plenty to do. On March 12, 1845, he was married to Miss
Mary Hughes, also of Radnor. His early life in Wyandot
county had endeared it to him, so that when the land sales
occurred he, with his wife, came up to attend them and
stopped over at the Old Inn. At the sale he bid off inlot
No. 249 at fifty-two dollars, but not being pleased with his
purchase went to the land office and bought inlot 110 (the
homestead) for thirty-two dollars and an outlot for thirty
dollars. For a house he bought an unfinished building stand-
ing in Johnson street near the east line of Fifth street, moved
it on his lot and finished and occupied it November 4th, begin-
ning work at his trade in the front room of his residence.
In the meantime his shop was building on the Thurman
House corner, where after its completion he remained until
nearly 1850, when he moved it to Wyandot avenue near Main
street, he with William King and A. M. Anderson having
bought that lot (173) of John Rappee. Then he continued
in business until he retired in 1878.

In 1855 he, with his brother, Samuel, and William King
opened a general store with a tailoring department in con-
nection under the firm name of J. & S. Owen & Company, but

236

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the death of the brother soon after led to dissolution and
the sale of the stock, and he changed back to piece-goods,
cloths and tailoring. After his retirement he lived quietly,
conserving his health, which had never been of the best. His
wife’s death, November 16, 1898, followed by that of his
younger son, January 24, 1899, was too great a loss for him
to bear up under in the frail condition of his health, and
there were only intervening a few short months before his
passing on May 4, 1900. He is survived by his elder son,
A. H. Owen, who made the profession of teaching and literary
work his vocation and is now retired and living in the old
home.

CLINTON W. FOUCHT.

Clinton W. Foucht, engaging in expert mechanical work
in Harpster, was born in Pitt township, April 24, 1857. He is
a son of John D. and Mary Ann (Wirick) Foucht, both natives
of Perry county, Ohio, the former born September 29, 1831,
and the latter November 6, 1834. The father engaged in farm-
ing until the time of his death, December 12, 1874. His wife
has also passed away, her death having occurred June 3, 1910.
In their family were six children. William A. is the pro-
prietor of a department store in Upper Sandusky. He mar-
ried Jennie Ewert and has two children. Clinton W. is the
subject of this review. Lizzie E. became the wife of F. M.
Gibson, engaged in the insurance business in Cleveland. They
are the parents of five children. Cedora E. became the wife of
Levi From, a retired farmer of Somerset, Ohio. They have
three children. Emma V. married Moffet Whitaker, who is
engaged in the grocery business at Ravenna, Ohio. They are
the parents of three children. Ida- C. married B. D.
McElroy, who passed away in 1904.

Clinton W. Foucht acquired his education in the public
schools of Pitt township, which he attended until he was sev-
enteen years of age, laying aside his books at that time in
order to become a farm laborer. He afterward acquired prop-
erty of his own and developed and improved it until 1904,
when he accepted a position as salesman of a line of harvester
machinery, continuing in this occupation for two years. He

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

237

is a natural mechanic, skilled in everything pertaining to the
use and repair of machines, and this talent he is now turning
to excellent advantage, engaging in expert work on machin-
ery, specializing in reapers and farm implements. In this
line of occupation he has been active since 1906 and has won
in it a gratifying success, based upon his skill, intelligence
and general business ability.

On the 9th of December, 1880, at Harpster, Mr. Foucht
married Miss Annie Moulds, a daughter of Richard and Anna
Moulds, the former a shoemaker in Lincolnshire, England.
Mr. and Mrs. Foucht are the parents of four children. John
Louis is an engineer for the Ohio Oil Company, with residence
in Upper Sandusky. He married Mamie Seiger and has one
daughter, Katherine. Grace Beulah became the wife of Scott
Vickers, also an engineer for the Ohio Oil Company. They
have two children, Robert Eugene and John Richard. The
other children in this family are Clara Marie and Charles
William.

Mr. Foucht is a member of the Reformed church of Pitt
township. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern
Woodmen of America and is a member of the National Sales-
man’s Training Association of Chicago, having completed
the course in 1910. His political allegiance is given to the
democratic party and he has always been active in local
affairs. He was the first marshal in Harpster, serving for
five years, and he was for four years constable for Wyandot
county. He is now notary public, having been elected to this
office in 1906, and his public service is distinguished by the
same honesty, loyalty and conscientiousness which have dis-
tinguished his business career.

ADDISON ELI GIBBS.

Addison Eli Gibbs is living practically retired in Carey
after a long period of close identification with its business
life. He is giving his time to the supervision and manage-
ment of his extensive interests and occupies a leading place
among the influential and prominent men of the community.
He is a native of Ohio, born in Portage county, February 22,
1831, and is a son of one of the pioneers of the state. His

238

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

father, Eli Gibbs, was born in Massachusetts, June 8, 1802,
and in the early ’20s moved to Portage county, Ohio, where
he farmed. In 1840 he came by wagon to Wyandot county
and with his wife and four sons lived for about two years on
a farm near Upper Sandusky. He died December 4, 1866,
and his wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Lucinda Cody,
passed away in the same year.

Addison E. Gibbs acquired his education in the Ohio dis-
trict schools, attending during the winter months and helping
with the work of the farm during the summers. At the age
of fifteen he laid aside his books and obtained a position in a
general store at Patterson, in Hardin county, where he worked
for one year for six dollars and a half per month. When he
was sixteen he worked out as a farm hand in Seneca county,
and in the fall of the same year obtained a position on the
Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad, receiving for his services
nineteen dollars a month in the winter and twenty dollars
during the summer season. It is a curious fact that he is the
only member of that construction gang who is living today.
Mr. Gibbs aided his parents until he was twenty-one years
of age but afterward moved to Republic, Seneca county, and
there worked in a grain elevator belonging to the railroad
company. In 1855 he moved into Carey and has since main-
tained his residence in this city. For some time he had charge
of the large elevator here and retained this position for three
years, after which he conducted a similar enterprise in the
interests of Dow & Park. In 1862 he formed a partnership
with Messrs. Park and Swartz and engaged in the grain and
seed trade until the spring of 1864, when he purchased an
interest in the drug business belonging to Houck & Myers.
This he sold out in order to enter the army and he served
loyally and faithfully until the close of hostilities. Upon
his return he took a position in the dry goods store of Park
& Swartz but shortly afterward was appointed agent of the
United States Express Company, an office which he held
until he was succeeded by his son Frank, the combined terms
of service of father and son extending over forty years. To
his activity in this line Mr. Gibbs added, in 1865, the duties
of agent of the Cleveland, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad
and this position he held until 1881 without the loss of a day’s
pay and with no vacation. In the latter year he retired from
active life, but after a few days grew discontented with his

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

239

inactivity and resumed business. He purchased the grocery
store of A. J. Frederick and conducted it until 1906, when he
sold the enterprise and again retired. He has, however, an
office in one of his business blocks and there he still looks
after his extensive interests. No man occupies a more envia-
ble position in the community than he, not alone by reason of
the success he has achieved but also owing to the fact that his
methods have been straightforward and honorable. He is a
dependable man under all circumstances and the simple
weight of his character and ability has carried him into
important business relations.

On the 8th of April, 1852, Mr. Gibbs was united in mar-
riage to Miss Elizabeth Kerstetter, who died on October 21,
1899. To their union were born nine children: Alice; Ella;
Florence, deceased; Hattie; Maud, who has also passed away;
Frank C.; Fred W.; Hiram J.; and Edward A. Politically
Mr. Gibbs gives his allegiance to the republican party, his
study of the questions and issues of the day leading him to
the opinion that the principles of that party are best calcu-
lated to conserve the general good. He has been township
clerk, member of the school board, treasurer of the city of
Carey and also treasurer of the school board and a member
of the city council. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Grand
Army of the Republic. He is a dignified, courteous gentle-
man, of kindly spirit and strong principles, who through his
marked individuality has left an impress for good upon the
community in which he has so long resided.

WILLIAM EARL MONTAGUE.

William Earl Montague, who since 1903 has conducted a
photographic gallery in Carey, is numbered among the most
able and progressive young business men of the city and his
patronage is most extensive. He was born in Carey, Novem-
ber 26, 1881, and is a son of Kinzie and Mary (Friend) Mon-
tague, the former born in Crawford township in 1849 and the
latter in Berwick, Ohio, in 1856. The father is a barber by
trade and has followed this occupation continuously for the
past thirty-five years. He and his wife make their home in
Carey. They became the parents of four children: Grace,

240

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

who died at the age of one year; William Earl, the subject of
this sketch ; LeRoy, a barber in Carey, who married Dorothy
Brown, and Gladys, who died at the age of one year.

William E. Montague was educated in the public and
high schools of Carey, laying aside his books in 1901. He
spent two years thereafter assisting in his father’s barber
shop but in 1903 opened a photographic gallery in Carey
which he has since conducted. His studio is supplied with
the most modern equipment and the work which Mr. Mon- .
tague turns out is artistic and beautiful in every respect.

On the 10th of November, 1909, at Carey, Mr. Montague
married Miss Hazel Donaldson, a daughter of William and
Minnie (Stout) Donaldson, the former a farmer in this city.
Mr. and Mrs. Montague have one child, Ruth Isabelle. Mr.
Montague gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party, and fraternally he is affiliated with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America.
Although still a young man he has already attained a gratify-
ing degree of success and his many friends in this city do not
hesitate to predict for him continued advancement in his
chosen field.

REV. ALOYS M. FISH, O. M. C.

Rev. Aloys M. Fish was born in Albany, New York, in
1869, and acquired his early education in the parochial, pub-
lic and high schools of that city, later attending the Fran-
ciscan Seminary at Syracuse, New York. He afterward went
abroad and completed his theological studies in Rome, where
he remained seven years, being ordained to the Catholic
priesthood in that city. After he returned to America he
began teaching in St. Francis College, Trenton, New Jersey,
and he there remained for six years, becoming during that
time deeply interested in prison reform work. So effective
were his activities along this line that in 1896 he received
the official appointment of Catholic moral instructor at the
state prison at Trenton. During the years of his work in this
capacity he was a close student of modern methods and
problems of prison life and discipline and cooperated in the
advancement of humanitarian and reformatory treatment of

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

243

the confined criminal, both in the state of New Jersey, where
he was the author of a number of laws that remolded the
present system of that conservative state, and in the country
at large, where as a member and officer of the American
Prison Association and as president of the Penal Chaplains
Association he stood in the front ranks of advocates of more
enlightened methods in prison control.

Father Fish remained in Trenton until 1912, when he re-
ceived the appointment as pastor of the Church of Our Lady
of Consolation in Carey, coming to this city June 1 of that
year.

JACOB P. BARNTHOUSE.

One of the most progressive, far-sighted and able busi-
ness men of Upper Sandusky is Jacob P. Barnthouse, now
controlling an important and extensive patronage as a wool
buyer. He also handles sheep, obtaining for them a ready
market, and is one of the large land owners in this part of
the state, owning five hundred and thirty acres of land, lying
partly in Marion county and partly in Wyandot. He was
born in Salt Rock township, Marion county, July 16, 1842, and
is a son of William and Margaret (McCoy) Barnthouse, the
former a native of Maryland, born in 1802, and the latter of
Pennsylvania, born in 1804. The father came to Ohio about
the year 1838 and turned his attention to general farming,
an occupation which he followed until his death, which
occurred in 1856. His wife survived him some years, dying
in 1871. In their family were thirteen children: Eliza A.
married Abraham Halderman, a farmer of Bement, Illinois,
and they have four children. James H., formerly county
commissioner of Wyandot county, married Catherine Math-
ews. He is a resident of Little Sandusky, where he follows
farming. Elizabeth passed away in childhood. William H.
is a farmer at Weldon, Iowa. He married Martha Chery and
has two children. Francis has passed away. His wife, also
deceased, was in her maidenhood Miss Harriet Mount and
they became the parents of three children. Emily J. married
Daniel Mathews, a farmer in Missouri. He passed away in
1906, leaving six children. Jacob P. is the subject of this

voi. n— l a

244 PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

review. Amanda 0. became the wife of John Book, after
whose death she married a Mr. Egger, a farmer of Little San-
dusky. She has three children by her first husband. May
C. married James Preston, who followed farming in Iowa.
Both have passed away, leaving four children. Sylvester M.
married Samantha Holmes. Both have passed away, leaving
one child. Matilda E. became the wife of John McLean.
Both are deceased. Christopher makes his home at Eaton,
Indiana. He married Susan Webb and has one child. The
other child born to William and Margaret Barnthouse died
in infancy.

Jacob Barnthouse attended school for only one year, in
1854, and then went back to work on the farm in Upper San-
dusky. Until 1876 he aided with the operation of the home-
stead, but in that year turned his attention to other pursuits,
becoming station agent at Morral for the Hocking Valley
Railroad. He remained there seven years, dividing his atten-
tion between the duties of this position and the conduct of
a grain buying business, which under his able management
steadily increased in volume and importance. It finally
reached such extensive proportions as to require all of his
time and he accordingly resigned his railroad position and
continued the conduct of his independent concern, to which
he added a wool buying department. He continued both lines
in Morral until 1910, becoming one of the prominent and suc-
cessful business men of the city, having been carried forward
in the course of years into important commercial and trade
relations. From Morral he came to Upper Sandusky, where
he conducts a large wool business, being both a buyer and a
seller on an extensive scale. He was for some time connected
with S. H. Hunt of this city but now conducts his enterprise
alone, bringing to its management not only a natural busi-
ness ability but also the experience gained during thirty
years of close connection with the line of work which now
claims his attention. Mr. Barnthouse is also engaged to
some extent in general farming, being one of the extensive
land owners in this section. He owns one hundred and sixty
acres in Marion county, two hundred and fifty acres in Pitt
and one hundred and twenty in Marseilles townships, this
county, and five and one-half acres in Crane township, his
principal crops being hay, corn and oats, which he sells read-
ily in the local market. He conducts his business affairs in a

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

245

far-sighted, able and discriminating way, practicing economy
in buying and selling, and he has gained that success which
follows earnest, well directed and persistent labor.

At Marion, Ohio, on the 18th of October, 1867, Mr. Barnt-
house married Miss Hulda Jump and they became the parents
of eight children, three of whom died in infancy. Of the
others, Charles 0. is a grain buyer in Marion county. He
married Louisa Kinster and they have one child, Merwyn R.
C. F. Barnthouse is a wool buyer in Upper Sandusky. He
married Anna Miller. Harvey 0. is a telegraph operator on
the Board of Trade in Toledo. He married Blanche Louder-
milch and has four children : Whitcomb ; Beatrice ; Marjorie,
deceased; and Morris. Zoe E. lives at home. Edison R., the
youngest child in this family, is also with his parents.

Mr. Barnthouse gives his political allegiance to the repub-
lican party and has always taken an active and loyal part
in public affairs, being essentially public-spirited in matters
of citizenship. He was for four years a trustee of Salt Rock
township in Marion county, and was president of the Salt
Rock township school board for ten years. He attends the
Free Will Baptist church and is a member of the Upper San-
dusky Chamber of Commerce. Since 1880 he has been affili-
ated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is prom-
inent and popular in the local lodge of that organization. A
man of varied interests, he possesses the personality and the
force of ability necessary to make each effective, being pro-
gressive in citizenship, capable in business and faithful to
all ties and obligations of life. All who have been in any way
associated with him entertain for him high regard and esteem
and he has the confidence and honor of those fortunate enough
to come within the close circle of his friendship.

GEORGE L. STAUM.

George L. Staum is well known among the reliable and
trustworthy business men of Sycamore, for he has been con-
ducting a large undertaking establishment in that community
since 1881. He is a native of Wyandot county, born in Eden
township, March 20, 1857, and is a son of Jacob and Eleanor
(Sinneft) Staum. The father was born in Holmes county in

246 PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

1837 and followed the occupation of carpentering during the
early years of his active life, later becoming connected with
the undertaking business. He passed away in 1907. His
wife was a native of Fairfield county, born in 1840, and she
died in 1912. They had three children: George L., of this
review; William H., who died March 14, 1911, at the age of
forty-seven; and Hester.

George L. Staum acquired his education in the district
schools of Belle Vernon, Ohio, pursuing his studies until he
was nineteen years of age. After he laid aside his books he
spent his summers working at carpentering and during the
winter aided in his father’s undertaking establishment. He
continued thus until 1881, when his father retired from active
life and Mr. Staum of this review assumed entire charge of
the business. Since that time he has met with continuous
success because he is a capable and upright man and has ever
placed his dependence upon the substantial qualities of energy
and perseverance, guided by sound and practical judgment.

At Upper Sandusky, Ohio, on the 14th of December, 1882,
Mr. Staum married Miss Lou Snover, a daughter of Marshall
Snover, a farmer of Belle Vernon, Ohio, and they have two
children, Cleo and Cloa. The family are devout members of
the Reformed church.

Fraternally Mr. Staum is identified with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. He gives his political allegiance to
the republican party and is at all times active and progressive
in his citizenship, giving loyal support to many measures for
the public good. For two terms he served as director of the
school board and for similar periods was town treasurer and
a member of the town council, discharging his official duties
with the same energy, conscientiousness and enterprising
spirit which influenced and hastened his business success.

JOHN HOGAN.

John Hogan, prominently identified with mercantile inter-
ests of Marseilles as the proprietor of a fine meat market,
was born in north Wales on the 24th of January, 1858, and
is a son of William F. and Jane (Williams) Hogan, both

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 247

natives of that country, the former born in 1827 and the latter
in 1831. The father came in 1852 to America and settled
immediately in Marion county^ Ohio, whence five years later
he moved to Wyandot county, where he died in 1908. His
wife has also passed away, her death occurring in 1909. In
their family were six children, Maria, Susan, John, Nelson,
Sarah and Frank.

John Hogan acquired his education in the district schools
of Mifflin township and at the age of nineteen laid aside his
books, being at that time a skilful and practical farmer, having
gained an excellent knowledge of the best agricultural meth-
ods through aiding his father with the work of the home-
stead. He remained with his parents until he was twenty
years of age and then began working as a farm laborer, con-
tinuing in this capacity until he was twenty-three, when he
rented land, which he developed and improved for a period of
six years. Upon the expiration of that time he turned his
attention to the butcher business and he has continued this
connection since that time. For many years he conducted a
large meat mafket in Marion but in January, 1912, disposed
of his interests there and moved to Marseilles, where he has
met with his usual success, a large patronage being accorded
to him in recognition of his straightforward business dealings,
the high quality of his goods and his reasonable prices.

On the 6th of November, 1874, in Marion, Ohio, Mr. Hogan
was united in marriage to Miss Lulu Byrns, a daughter of
William and Lydia (Rudick) Byrns, the former a successful
farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Hogan became the parents of eleven
children. Lester is a teamster in Sycamore. He married
Miss Nola Hill and they are the parents of one child. Grace,
twin to Lester, married Guy Ducat, a motorman in Marion.
Mae is the next in order of birth. Bessie became the wife of
Kendrick Flewelling, a tiler in Marseilles, Ohio, and they have
one child. Hugh is a partner with his father in the meat
business in Marseilles. He married Grace Secord, and they
have one daughter, Nina Belle. Jennie became the wife of
Harry Hall, a farmer in Marion county. Roy is an automo-
bile mechanician and resides at Sycamore, Ohio. Marie and
Byrns live at home. Vernon is also at home and works upon
neighboring farms. Charles is engaged in farming in Pitt
township. He married Lenora Staneberry and they have two
children.

248

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Hogan gives a general allegiance to the republican
party but votes independently when he believes that the best
interests of the community require such action. He is inter-
ested in community affairs and active in promoting commu-
nity advancement. While a resident of Marion county he
held various important local positions, serving as a member of
the school board and township supervisor of Montgomery.
Although one of the later arrivals in Marseilles, he has already
firmly entrenched himself in the regard of his fellow towns-
men, who recognize in him a man whose industry, integrity
and public spirit dominate and control all the activities of
his life.

HOMER THRALL.

Homer Thrall, the well known publisher of the Carey
Times, has during the entire period of his residence in the
city been identified with newspaper interests and has made
his name a synonym for powerful and influential work along
lines of municipal progress, reform and development. He
was born in Granville, Ohio, October 27, 1832, and is a son of
Linus G. and Lucy (Wolcott) Thrall, the former a native of
Vermont and the latter of Ohio. The father was a miller by
trade and also engaged in general farming for a number of
years.

Homer Thrall acquired his early education in the public
schools of Licking county, Ohio, and was later graduated
from Kenyon College at Cambier. At the outbreak of the
Civil war he enlisted in Company B, Seventeenth Ohio Volun-
teer Infantry, going to the front as captain, and after four
months reenlisted in Company D, Twenty-second Ohio Vol-
unteers, serving as captain of that company also. He was
mustered out in November, 1864, as lieutenant colonel and
with this creditable military record returned home, where he
studied for the ministry and was ordained in the Congrega-
tional religion. He continued in this work until 1893, when
he came to Carey and purchased the Carey Times, a weekly
journal, which he has since conducted. He has proven him-
self a truly public-spirited citizen — an essential qualification
for a successful newspaper publisher — and he has stood stead-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 249

ily on the side of reform and advancement, supporting in the
columns of his paper all progressive public enterprises. He
has been instrumental in this way in gaining many needed
civic improvements and it was largely through his influence
that the city waterworks plant was erected. Although a
democrat personally, Mr. Thrall keeps his paper independent
of political lines apd free from all suspicion of partisanship,
thus making his work doubly effective, because it is known to
be sincere.

In 1863 Mr. Thrall was united in marriage to Miss Emma
Boudinct, a native of Liverpool, England, and they have three
children, Linus GK, Josephine and Eloise. Mr. Thrall is well
known in business and social circles and is regarded as one
of the leading newspaper men of this section of the state. His
genial manner, unfailing courtesy and his distinct and valu-
able achievements have made him prominent and have gained
for him the high place which he holds in Carey.

BEN WAGSTAFF.

Ben Wagstaff is proprietor of a plumbing and steamfitting
establishment in Sycamore, in which connection he has built
up a business of growing and gratifying proportions. Ohio
claims him as one of her native sons, his birth having occurred
in Zanesville, November 18, 1865. His father, Benjamin F.
Wagstaff, was born in Cambridge, Ohio, in 1830, and devoted
his life to the trades of blacksmithing and wagon making, in
which connection he won a substantial measure of prosperity,
enabling him in 1909 to retire from active life and spend the
remainder of his days in the enjoyment of the fruits of his
former toil. He is now living at Dunkirk, Ohio. He married
Cecelia Crites, who was born in Virginia in 1834, and their
children were Harry B., Horner J., William H., James, Ben,
Carrie C., Albert 0. and Charles C. Of these, James died in
1879.

In taking up the personal history of Ben Wagstaff we
present to our readers the life record of one who has shown in
his business activity much that is commendable. He deserves
considerable credit for his success in that he started out in
life on his own account when but fourteen years of age, up

250 PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

to which time he had been a pupil in the district schools. He
then began learning the tinner’s trade, at which he worked
for others until 1897. During that period he most wisely
saved his earnings until his industry and careful expenditure
had brought him capital sufficient to enable him to start in
business on his own account. He opened his present estab-
lishment in Sycamore in 1903 and now owns one of the most
thoroughly modern and up-to-date plumbing and steamfitting
shops in Wyandot county. In connection with his work in
that line he is engaged in the roofing and tinning business and
from the time he became an independent factor in commercial
circles here, he has been very successful, being accorded a
liberal patronage by reason of his excellent workmanship, his
reasonable prices and his fair and honest dealing.

Mr. Wagstaff was united in marriage to Miss Angie I.
Yanness, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Vanness, on the
4th of September, 1889, at Wapakoneta, Ohio, where her
father is a prosperous farmer. The children born unto Mr.
and Mrs. Wagstaff are Cora, Ethel, Avery, Hobart, Ruth
and Wendell. Mr. Wagstaff votes with the republican party
but has never sought nor desired office. He belongs to the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also to the United
Brethren church. He and his wife are held in high esteem in
Sycamore, where they have an extensive circle of warm
friends, while the hospitality of the best homes is freely
accorded them.

WILLIAM L. BLAIR.

The life record of William L. Blair is but another proof
of the fact that ambition, paired with industry and energy,
leads to success. Starting out with no particular advantages
in this world, he has become one of the foremost landowners
of his section and his activities have extended to so many
fields that their effect can hardly be estimated. Not only
has he given his ability to the promotion of numerous finan-
cial institutions and the raising of agricultural standards
but he is largely interested in manufacturing enterprises,
and there is no man who can lay greater claim to a career of
public benefit than William Blair. He now makes his resi-

WILLIAM L. BLAIR

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

253

dence in Nevada, Wyandot county, enjoying the position of
a leader among its people. Born in Warren county, New
Jersey, December 20, 1831, he is a son of James and Sarah A.
(Linderry) Blair, of New Jersey. The father, who was a
farmer, was born in 1801 and died in 1867, his wife passing
away in 1853.

William L. Blair attended school in his native state until
sixteen years of age, when he laid aside his text-books and
assisted his father with the work on the farm until he reached
the age of eighteen. He then began his independent career
and in 1853, when twenty-two years of age, came to Wyandot
county, where he engaged in the stock and sheep business,
driving stock overland to the eastern markets and deriving
gratifying results from this enterprise. Ever ready to em-
brace new opportunities, he made a study of the land of the
Sandusky valley and bought one hundred and sixty acres
of improved farm property in Sycamore towmship, his sound
judgment leading to a wise selection. There he settled per-
manently in the spring of 1854 and has ever since been a
prominent figure in the agricultural advancement of Wyan-
dot county. As the years have passed he has increased his
holdings and now holds title to over two thousand acres of
farm land and also has become one of the most successful
financiers of these parts. He is considered a power in financial
circles and at present serves with circumspection and con-
spicuous ability as president of the Nevada Deposit Bank.
Mr. Blair was one of the incorporators of this institution,
which commenced business on May 5, 1873, and at its first
meeting of the stockholders on that date he was elected presi-
dent and has since served in that important position without
interruption — a period of more than forty years. He is also
a stockholder and director of the First National Bank at
Upper Sandusky and the Commercial National Bank at that
place, and also the First National Bank of Bucyrus, Ohio.
He has also interests in numerous other financial institutions
throughout Wyandot county and is connected with a number
of manufacturing plants and other industries of varied char-
acter not only throughout this section but throughout the
state. His advice is often sought by the most able business
men and generally heeded, and he has come to be considered
an authority upon practically all commercial enterprises in-
augurated in this neighborhood. As highly as he is to be

254

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

commended upon his individual success, his activities have
been of a much more far-reaching character as regards the
general welfare and in that light have been inestimable in pro-
moting advancement in Wyandot county.

On December 16, 1857, at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Mr.
Blair was united in marriage to Miss Henrietta B. Fox, a
daughter of Charles C. and Caroline (Boyd) Fox, natives of
New York and Kentucky respectively. They were residents
of Wyandot county at the time of the marriage of their daugh-
ter. Mr. and Mrs. Blair became the parents of the following
children: Idella B., who makes her home in Detroit, Michi-
gan; Francis P., who follows agricultural pursuits, married a
daughter of J. C. McBeth, by whom he has two children, Ar-
lington and Nina; Caroline S., who married Newton McBeth,
who is deceased, and by whom she has two children, Grace
and Ollie; Janies A., who married Lovine Larick and
has three children, Theodore, Robert and Zelma, and is a
retired farmer; William C., who follows agricultural pursuits,
married Dora Van Voorhis, by whom he has three children,
Harold, Van and Idella; and Mary E., who married Joseph
Maxwell, a dry-goods merchant at Upper Sandusky, by whom
she has three children, J. Blair, William and Joseph, Jr.

Although having long passed the biblical age, Mr. Blair
is. still deeply interested and active in all measures affecting
the general welfare and in every way possible seeks to pro-
mote any worthy public enterprise. He served for many
years as member of the council of Nevada and in less official
capacities has ever gladly borne the brunt of financial ex-
penditure in promoting commercial expansion. He gives his
adherence to the republican party. Along fraternal lines he
is affiliated with the Masons, in which he has attained the
rank of the chapter, and is also a member of the Knights of
Pythias. His faith is that of the English Lutheran church.
In his life his business methods have been such as neither,
seek nor require disguise. He deals honorably and honestly
with his fellowmen and his name has come to be regarded
as a synonym for integrity in business and honor and loyalty
in every relation of life. Those who know him personally
find him a genial and kindly gentleman of generous impulses,
a friend of all mankind, guide and instructor of youth, one
who looks for good in others and finds it. His record is one

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

255

which should serve as a spur and inspiration to those who
seek advancement. The lesson, however, does not lie in the
fact that he has attained to a position of wealth, it lies not
in his tangible attainments, although they are important,
but it lies in the fact that with no advantages he has strug-
gled to success in training those qualities that have made that
success possible and excite admiration. That a fixed and
unalterable purpose pursued under all circumstances, in sea-
son and out of season, with never an idea of turning from the
path, is the best motive power man can have — thereof his life
course is proof. His personal qualities are such as have ever
commanded for him the respect, confidence, good-will and
even devotion of all with whom he has come in contact, and
as the years have passed he has become more firmly en-
trenched in the affection of those who know him.

HENRY KINLEY.

Henry Kinley, a worthy native son of Wyandot county, is
now serving as county commissioner. For more than four
decades he has made his home on section 7, Crane township,
and has won success as a farmer and stockman, owning two
hundred and ninety-four acres of valuable land in Crane and
Salem townships. His birth occurred in Tymochtee town-
ship, this county, on the 5th of December, 1849, his parents
being Frederick and Susanna (Schoenberger) Kinley, both
of whom were natives of Baden, Germany, the former born
in 1809 and the latter in April, 1815. Frederick Kinley was
one of the pioneer settlers of Crane township, Wyandot
county, here buying land in 1846, that is now in possession of
George Krebbs. During the remainder of his life he devoted
his attention to general agricultural pursuits in this county.
His demise occurred on the 14th of April, 1874, while his wife
was called to her final rest on the 19th of September, 1906.
Their children were as follows: Frederick, Mary, William,
Henry, Louis C., Caroline, John H., and four who died in
infancy.

Henry Kinley attended the district schools of Crane town-
ship until seventeen years of age and subsequently worked as
a farm hand until 1872. In that year he took up his abode on

256

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the farm which has remained his home continuously since or
for more than four decades, his property now comprising two
hundred and ninety-four acres of productive and valuable land
in Crane and Salem townships. He raises hay, corn, oats and
wheat, which he sells in the local market, and also makes a
specialty of sheep, having one hundred ewes. His residence
was destroyed by fire in 1885, and immediately thereafter he
erected the handsome modern home which now adorns the
place. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of
Upper Sandusky and has long been numbered among the pros-
perous and leading citizens of his native county.

On the 26th of March, 1871, in Crane township, Mr. Kinley
was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary E. Tilton, a daughter of
Green and Maria (Smith) Tilton of that township. The father
was one of the earliest settlers of this county and became an
extensive property owner here. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kinley
have been born twelve children, as follows: Grant W., an

agriculturist of Salem township, who wedded Miss Carrie
Cope and has four children, Laird H., Gladys, Mary Evelyn
and Zelma ; Myrtie E., the wife of Marly Gibson, a farmer of
Crane township, by whom she has four children, Inez E.,
Hazel, Robert and Herbert; Jay J., who wedded Miss Bertha
Corb and is a mail carrier of Toledo, Ohio; Edward M., a
farmer of Salem township, who married Miss Maggie Hentzel
and has two children, Helen and Dorothy; Ada A.; Frederick
E., an agriculturist of Crane township, who married Miss
Cassie Wade and has one child, Harmon; Grover C., residing
at Portsmouth, Ohio, and acting as surveyor of Scioto county,
who married Miss Mabel Fritz and has one child, Imogene;
Miner M., a farmer residing in Crane township, who wedded
Miss Maggie Gibson and has one child, Kenneth; Inda; Bessie
M. and Elva, both of whom are deceased; and one who died
when young.

Mr. Kinley gives his political allegiance to the democracy
and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability,
have called him to serve in several positions of public trust.
He acted as trustee of Crane township for six years and has
been a member of the school board for a period of nine years.
In 1910 he was elected commissioner, making a creditable rec-
ord in this connection. Fraternally he is identified with the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, the Red Men and the Champion Grange.

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY 257

While acquiring success in life he has also gained and retained
the respect and honor of his fellowmen by his public service
and private life, and all who know him feel honored by his
friendship.

HOMER CLARKE RAMSDELL.

Homer Clarke Ramsdell, a representative of journalistic
interests in Wyandot county, is the enterprising editor of
the Sycamore Leader. Practically his entire active career
has been spent in the newspaper business and in his present
position he is reaping the reward of many years of thorough
and systematic training and experience. He is a native of
New York, born in North Brookfield, January 2, 1872, a son
of Sidney D. and Lucinda (Clarke) Ramsdell, the former a
mechanician of great talent and ability and the latter a school
teacher previous to her marriage. This family is one of the
oldest in America and the line can be traced back through
successive generations to the Earl of Chester, who left his
native country and settled in Massachusetts in pre-Revolu-
tionary times after his estate had been confiscated by King
James II of England. Howard Ramsdell, the great-great-
grandfather of the subject of this review, founded the family
in New York, going to Saratoga from Massachusetts as one
of the pioneer settlers in that vicinity.

Homer C. Ramsdell acquired his education in the public
schools of Brookfield, graduating from the high school in
1892 with the highest class honors, being chosen as valedic-
torian. For two years after laying aside his books he read
law in order to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of legal
principles and also for the sake of the business training which
this study afforded him. He began his business career by
engaging as a printer, entering the printing office of the
Brookfield Courier when he was fourteen years of age. He,
however, was at that time attending school and gave only his
vacation months to these duties. When he abandoned the
reading of law he resumed his printing business, later rising
to the position of foreman in large country establishments
and finally holding the same responsible position in city
plants. Being thus thoroughly equipped by experience and

258

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

education, lie came to Sycamore in 1907 and on the 4th of
February of that year purchased the Sycamore Leader, in
the conduct of which he has met with a well deserved success
which is founded upon his expert knowledge of the details
of his profession and his long experience and well directed
training. The Sycamore Leader has a large subscription list
as well as an excellent advertising patronage and has become
important in this part of the county in the direction of pub-
lic thought and opinion.

On the 26th of June, 1901, Mr. Ramsdell was united in
marriage at Freedom, Ohio, to Miss Vivian Elida Wolcott,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Newell Wolcott. Mrs. Ramsdell
received an excellent education in the high school at Chagrin
Falls and supplemented this by a two years’ course at Hiram
College, and was later graduated from the Cleveland School
of Oratory. She afterward taught elocution until her mar-
riage. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsdell are the parents of a daughter,
Helen Josephine, who was born October 7, 1902, at Utica,
New York.

Homer C. Ramsdell is prominent in the fraternal circles
of Sycamore. He was made a Mason in 1898 at Hamilton,
New York, but has transferred his membership, belonging
now to Enterprise Lodge, No. 579, F. & A. M., at Sycamore,
in which organization he has filled most of the chairs, being
master in 1913. He is also a charter member of Enterprise
Chapter, 0. E. S. He gives his allegiance to the republican
party but, being a conscientious journalist, he has always
declined political preferment, wishing to keep his editorial
point of view untouched by bias or obligation. His life has
ever been upright and honorable and the motives which guide
his actions are such as will bear the closest investigation and
scrutiny.

REUBEN S. ULRICH.

Reuben S. Ulrich, a well known and leading resident of
Wyandot county, is now serving in the capacity of county
commissioner. He owns and operates a valuable farm of one
hundred and sixty acres on section 24, Eden township, and
also owns a residence and harness store in the town of Nevada.

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY 259

His birth occurred in Eden township, this county, on the 7th
of March, 1859, his parents being Samuel B. and Helena
(Sellers) Ulrich, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania,
the former born in Cumberland county in 1830 and the latter
in 1838. Samuel B. Ulrich took up his abode in Eden town-
ship, Wyandot county, in 1847 and here spent the remainder
of his life, devoting his attention to the pursuits of farming
and carpentering. His demise occurred in 1887, while his
wife was called to her final rest in the year 1906. To them
were born the following children: Reuben S., of this review;
Peter, who died in infancy; Benjamin S.; Elmira; Howard;
Martha, who passed away at the age of twenty-eight years;
Noretta; Samuel S.; Helena M.; and one who died in infancy.

Reuben S. Ulrich attended the district schools of Eden
township until twenty years of age and subsequently worked
at threshing and carpentering until 1887. In that year he
rented a tract of land comprising one hundred and sixteen
acres. He also owned a farm of two hundred acres in Texas
township, Crawford county, in partnership with his uncle,
and after disposing of his half interest in the property pur-
chased one hundred and twenty-seven acres in Sycamore
township, Wyandot county. At the end of three years he sold
the land and in 1904 bought a farm of one hundred and sixty
acres on section 24, Eden township, to the further cultivation
and improvement of which he has devoted his time and ener-
gies continuously since. He has won a gratifying measure of
success in his undertakings as an agriculturist, raising hay,
corn, oats and wheat, which he sells in the local market. He
makes a specialty of the breeding of Hereford and Short-
horn cattle, of which he has twenty head, and his stock also
includes one hundred head of sheep and as many hogs. In
connection with his farming interests he owned and operated
a threshing machine for twenty-five years. In addition to
his farm, he owns a residence and harness store in Nevada
and in the latter carries a stock of goods valued at three
thousand dollars. Mr. Ulrich is likewise a stockholder in
the Nevada Telephone Company and has long been widely
recognized as one of the enterprising, progressive and pros-
perous citizens of this county.

On the 25th of December, 1879, at the home of the bride
in Eden township, Mr. Ulrich was united in marriage to
Miss Annie E. Harter, her parents being Jacob and Susan

260 PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

(Haas) Harter, farming people of that township. Unto our
subject and his wife have been born the following children:
Lesta L., the wife of Samuel T. Bell, a farmer of Eden town-
ship, by whom she has two children, Ulrich and Allen; Lau-
rence B., an agriculturist residing in Eden township, who
wedded Miss Ollie Walters and has four children, Lea Jean,
Beth, Ulva and Wayne B.; Clate H., who died in infancy;
Clara H., twin sister of Clate, who gave her hand in marriage
to Stephen (rolling, a barber of Nevada, Ohio, and has two
children, Coline and Martha; and Ralph F., who passed away
when but a year old.

In politics Mr. Ulrich is a stanch democrat and an active
worker in the local ranks of the party. He has served as
clerk of Eden township for two terms and for a period of
fifteen years acted as president of the school board in that
township. In 1910 he was chosen county commissioner and
two years later was reelected, holding that office at the pres-
ent time and discharging his duties in connection therewith
in a most commendable and satisfactory manner. His fra-
ternal relations are with the Royal Arch Masons, the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and
the Modern Woodmen of America. His religious . faith is
indicated by his membership in the Church of God, attending
the services in Eden township. A lifelong resident of Wyan-
dot county, he has witnessed its continuous growth and
development for more than a half century and has been an
active factor in the work of progress and upbuilding along
many lines.

GUSTAV KUMMERER,

Gustav Kummerer follows general farming upon seventy-
nine acres of land on section 8, Crawford township, and is
numbered among the representative and substantial agri-
culturists of this vicinity. A spirit of enterprise and prog-
ress actuates him in all of his business life and has led him
from small beginnings to large undertakings, wherein his
labors are crowned with gratifying prosperity. He is one
of the sturdy, industrious and capable men whom Germany
has given to the new world and he was born in the father-

GUSTAV KUMMERER AND FAMILY

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

263

land, June 22, 1858. His parents were John and Elizabeth
Kummerer, the former a farmer in his native country. They
spent their entire lives in Germany, where their deaths
occurred.

In the acquirement of an education Gustav Kummerer
attended the public schools in Germany and there remained
until he was twenty-two years of age. At that tune he and
his brother, Joseph, crossed the Atlantic to the United States,
separating upon their arrival, Joseph going to the state of
Washington, where in 1912 he was accidentally killed in an
explosion. Mr. Kummerer, of this review, settled in Tiffin,
Ohio, and for some time worked at anything which would
bring him an income. He at first worked in a brickyard and
later did plastering, adding to his activities by hiring out as
a farm laborer. He was ambitious, economical and energetic
and by the practice of strict frugality saved enough money
to rent a farm, operating this property in Ohio for sixteen
years and becoming in that time a practical and progressive
agriculturist. When he left his first farm Mr. Kummerer
resided for six years upon another tract of land in the same
vicinity and then moved to Wood county, where he operated
a rented farm for three years. His efforts were crowned by
prosperity and in 1910 he purchased land of his own, buying
seventy-nine acres on section 8, Crawford township, whereon
he has since resided. Since locating upon this property he
has greatly improved it, having built a fine residence and
good barns and installed the necessary equipment. Although
at times handicapped by ill health, he has attained a gratify-
ing measure of success, for he is a practical farmer and does
well whatever he undertakes, his strong determination, in-
dustry and ambition constituting the secret of his prosperity.

In 1884 Mr. Kummerer was united in marriage to Miss
Friedolina Matt, who by her help and encouragement through-
out the years aided her husband greatly in his struggle for
prosperity. She was a loyal and faithful wife and mother
and at her death in 1911 left ten children, Gustave, John,
William, Albert, Frank, Leo, Mary, Elizabeth, Friedolina
and Anna. Mr. Kummerer and his children are all devout
adherents of the Roman Catholic church.

Mr. Kummerer has made many changes in location
throughout the course of his career but all have materially
advanced his prosperity. In every community in which he

Vol. II— 1 4

264

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

has resided he has gained a reputation for strict integrity
and well directed industry and has won the confidence and
esteem of his associates and friends. He is a good financier
and business man and, as the years have gone by, has grad-
ually worked his way upward, until he is now one of the pros-
perous citizens of Crawford township. He is practical and
systematic in all that he does and has gained that measure
of success, which follows earnest, persistent and well directed
labor.

GEORGE L. CARY.

George L. Cary is one of the prominent and progressive
farmers of Marseilles township, where he owns and operates
two hundred and forty acres of land on section 11. This con-
stitutes a portion of the homestead on which he was born
November 4, 1874, his parents being Henry Halsey and Sus-
anna (Keckler) Cary, the former born in Morris county,
New Jersey, on the 4th of March, 1827, and the latter in Penn-
sylvania in 1838. The father came to Ohio when he was only
sixteen years of age and engaged in farming in this state until
his death, which occurred on the 11th of August, 1901. His
wife survived him some time, dying in 1912. To their union
were born six children. Charles and Louis have passed away.
Isabelle married David Young and they have three children,
Elizabeth, Sarah and Halsey. Elizabeth is the wife of James
Hastings and they reside in Hardin county and have six chil-
dren, Cary, Isabelle, Jeannette, Jay, Susanna and Ernest.
George L. is the subject of this review. Frank married Mag-
gie Range, by whom he has two sons, Ralph and Paul.

George L. Cary acquired his education in the district
schools of his native township, dividing his time in his child-
hood between his studies and work upon his father’s farm.
When he was twenty-one he laid aside his books and there-
after until 1898 assisted with the work of the homestead,
forming a partnership with his father, with whom he con-
tinued in association until after the latter’s death in 1901.
At that time the farm was divided, George Cary receiving
as his share the two hundred and forty acres on section 11
upon which he now resides. Since that time he has steadily

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

265

carried forward the work of improvement and development,
giving a great deal of his time to the cultivation of his fields,
on which he raises hay, corn, oats and wheat, and becoming
also extensively interested in stock-raising, keeping about
ten head of cattle and an equal number of horses. He makes
a specialty of raising sheep and has fine flocks of these ani-
mals, which command high prices and ready sales in the local
markets. He is practical and progressive in all that he does
and his labors have been rewarded by a success which places
him today among the prosperous farmers and substantial
business men of his native community.

On the 29th of September, 1898, in Hardin county, Ohio,
Mr. Cary was united in marriage to Miss Mary P. Spitzer, a
daughter of Gabriel and Sarah J. (Miller) Spitzer, the former
at one time an extensive land owner and prosperous farmer
of Hardin county. He is now retired and makes his home
in Forest, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Cary have two children, Ruth
Anna and Clarabel.

Mr. Cary is a member of the Presbyterian church, and
politically gives his allegiance to the republican party.
Although never active as an office seeker, he is interested in
the community welfare and served for four years as town-
ship trustee, discharging his duties in a capable and far-
sighted way. He is a man whose industry, ability and integ-
rity are well known throughout the township and command
for him the respect, confidence and esteem of all who are
associated with him.

JACOB A. PETTY.

Through successive stages of business development and
progress, Jacob A. Petty has worked his way upward to a
prominent place in commercial circles of Sycamore, where
he conducts a sawmill and general lumber business, having
an extensive and growing patronage. He was born in New
Jersey on the 20th of February, 1848, and is a son of John
and Jane (Lake) Petty, both natives of New Jersey, the
father born in 1819 and the mother in 1821. The father of
our subject was a wheelwright by trade and followed that
occupation until his death in 1860. His wife survived him

266

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

many years, dying in 1894. In their family were seven chil-
dren: Jacob A. and Louis, living; and William, John K.,
Albert, Cyrus and Charles, deceased.

J. A. Petty’s father died when our subject was twelve
years old and he was left to work his own way, which he did
by working for farmers in the summer months and attending
school in the winter. At eighteen years of age he removed
to Wyandot county, Ohio, near Mexico, still working on farms
in the summer and attending district school in the winter.
At twenty he removed to Carey, Ohio, to learn the stone,
brick and plastering trades, which he followed during the
summer months, and attending Heidelberg College in the
winter. Thus by his own efforts he supplemented the defects
of his early education. At the age of twenty-four he estab-
lished himself as a contractor, specializing in building
churches and schoolhouses. He became gradually very suc-
cessful in this line of work, securing a gratifying patronage.
In 1888, however, he purchased a sawmill in Sycamore, Ohio,
and in partnership with Leslie Patrick operated it until 1892,
when he purchased the interest of his associate and has since
managed the enterprise alone. In addition to his mills Mr.
Petty conducts a lumber and coal yard, a planing mill, and
carries a general line of building materials and wire fencing.
He has a liberal patronage and in all of his dealings is strictly
fair and reliable, his business integrity standing as an unques-
tioned fact in his career. He deserves great credit for what
he has accomplished, for he started out in life practically
penniless and is today one of the prosperous and representa-
tive men of his community.

On March 7, 1872, Mr. Petty was married at Upper San-
dusky, Ohio, to Miss Clarissa Badger, a daughter of George
and Harriett (Pyle) Badger, of near Mexico, Ohio, his wife
having proven a loyal partner in all their labors. Mr. and
Mrs. Petty have become the parents of four children. Ward
B. is postmaster of Sycamore. He married Maude Case, of
Eden township, and they have one child, Case. Ivy became
the wife of Philip J. Heilman, editor and owner of the Syca-
more Leader, who was one of the organizers of Company L,
Second Ohio National Guard, and was captain of that organi-
zation at the time of his death in 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Heilman
had one daughter, Clarissa. The other children, Winniefred
M. and Frank B., are at home.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

267

Mr. Petty attends the Reformed church and fraternally is
connected with the Masonic order. He gives loyal support
to the men and measures of the republican party and for
many years has been active in local affairs, having served as
president and director of the school board for a number of
years. He was also for a long time a councilman and chair-
man of the executive committee of Sycamore and acted as
township treasurer, commissioner of jurors and also was a
member of the board of trustees of the Memorial Association
of Wyandot county and trustee of Pleasant View cemetery,
discharging his duties in these positions in a manner to fur-
ther the welfare and progress of his section. He is widely
known in Wyandot county and throughout northern Ohio,
and his substantial characteristics have gained him the warm
regard and unqualified trust of his fellow townsmen.

JAY OSBORN.

J ay Osborn, engaged in the conduct of a first class bakery
in Sycamore, is numbered among the well known and promi-
nent men of this city, his wise management and capable con-
trol of his interests winning him a most gratifying degree
of success. He was born in Crawford county, near Benton,
May 23, 1863, a son of James B. and Susanna (Durck) Osborn,
the former a native of New York state and the latter of
Pennsylvania. The father was born in 1838 and in his youth
learned the blacksmith’s trade. He came to Crawford county
at the age of fifteen and moved from there four years after-
ward to Wyandot county, where he followed his chosen occu-
pation until his death in 1912. His wife resides in Sycamore
and has reached the age of seventy years.

Jay Osborn acquired his education in the district schools
of Eden township and laid aside his books at the age of
eighteen in order to become the manager of his father’s farm,
the latter being disabled by illness. Later Mr. Osborn of
this review worked in a brickyard and then engaged in busi-
ness in Sycamore township. In 1887 he moved into Sycamore
and established himself in the restaurant and bakery busi-
ness. His establishment is fully equipped to meet all the
demands made upon the business, being perfectly clean and

268

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

sanitary, and as a result Mr. Osborn has secured a gratifying
patronage, being accounted an able and successful business
man.

On the 10th of November, 1887, Mr. Osborn was united
in marriage to Miss Ida Swartz, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Levi Swartz, the former a well known farmer of Eden town-
ship. Mr. and Mrs. Osborn have two children, Geneva and
Philip S. The family are devout members of the United
Brethren church. Fraternally Mr. Osborn is affiliated with
the Knights of Pythias. He gives his political allegiance to
the democratic party and for two years served as councilman,
although he is not ambitious for official recognition, pre-
ferring to devote his entire time to the management of his
business interests. Early realizing that success is the legiti-
mate and logical result of well directed effort and intelligent
labor, he applied hhnself to his work, and his determination
and high standards of integrity have brought him to the
creditable place which he now occupies in business circles.

HON. SAMUEL J. BLACK.

Samuel J. Black, superintendent of the Upper Sandusky
Water Company, has ably served in that capacity for the past
nine years. His birth occurred near Franklin, Pennsylvania,
on the 14th of April, 1880. His father was born in Ireland
and his mother was a native of Ohio. His early education
was acquired in a country school, while subsequently he
attended Bucknell University at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania,
after a preparatory course in Bucknell Academy. Upon
leaving college he was made assistant superintendent of the
Sharon Water Company of Sharon, Pennsylvania, and held
that position until 1904, when he came to Upper Sandusky,
Ohio, as superintendent of the Upper Sandusky Water Com-
pany, which position he now holds. He is likewise a director
in the Citizens Savings Bank of Upper Sandusky and enjoys
an enviable reputation as one of the prosperous and leading
citizens of this county.

Politically Mr. Black is an active worker in the local
ranks of the democracy, having served as a member of the
democratic county central committee and as secretary and

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

269

chairman respectively of the democratic county executive com-
mittee. In 1912 he was honored by election as state represen-
tative from Wyandot county and has already justified the con-
fidence of his constituents by valuable work in the legislature.
He is an elder and trustee in the First Presbyterian church and
fraternally is identified with the Masons, being a past master
of Warpole Lodge, No. 176, F. & A. M., and a member of
Marion Commandery, K. T. He also belongs to the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Improved Order of
Red Men and is a member of Phi Kappa Psi, a Greek letter
fraternity.

On the 14th of July, 1904, Mr. Black was united in mar-
riage to Miss Lucretia G. Snyder, of Scranton, Pennsylvania,
by whom he has one child, Margaret Rainey, born September
27, 1909.

GEORGE F. BRIIHL.

George F. Briihl is conducting a photographic studio in
Sycamore. His ability ranks him with the leading members
of the profession in this part of Ohio and his patronage is
most extensive. He is a native son of this state, born in Can-
ton, December 9, 1872, a son of George and Emma M. (Pes-
chel) Briihl, natives of Germany. The father was born in
1842 and spent his childhood and early manhood in his native
country, coming to America in 1864. After his arrival he
came immediately to Ohio and established himself as a
mechanic in Canton, being profitably engaged along this line
until his death, which occurred in 1885. The mother of our
subject was born in Germany in 1850 and came to Canton,
Ohio, in 1865. After the death of her first husband she mar-
ried John Wagner, an awning worker, who passed away in
1912. By her first marriage she is the mother of five chil-
dren: George F., of this review; Charles C. ; Lena; Selma;
and Elsie. By her second marriage she has two sons, Harry
and Frank.

George F. Briihl acquired his education in the public
schools of Canton, attending until he was fourteen years of
age, when he laid aside his books, securing employment as a
machinist’s helper. He retained his first position for one

270

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

year, after which he learned the barber’s trade, following it
thereafter in the employ of others until he was eighteen years
of age. He was ambitious and economical and saved his
money, being eventually able to open a shop of his own, which
he conducted from 1890 until 1900. In the latter year he
established himself in the photographic business in Coshoc-
ton, but in 1910 moved his studio to Sycamore, where he has
since remained. His patronage is very extensive, owing to
the excellent quality of the work which he does. He has a
fine appreciation of pose, light and shade and has the faculty
of producing natural effects in the finished likeness.

At Canton, on the 30th of August, 1894, Mr. Briihl mar-
ried Miss Mollie I. Gentry, a daughter of William A. and Jen-
nie (Campbell) Gentry, and they became the parents of three
children, the eldest of whom died in infancy. The second,
Dorothea, passed away when she was six years and four
months old. The youngest is named George Gentry.

Mr. Briihl gives his allegiance to the republican party
and fraternally is connected with the Knights of Pythias.
He belongs to the Reformed church. Although a resident
of Sycamore for only a brief period, he has won many friends
here and is esteemed for his social qualities as well as for his
artistic attainments along photographic lines.

JOHN BIKAU, Jr.

John Binau, Jr., is one of the progressive, enterprising
and successful business men of Upper Sandusky, where since
1907 he has controlled a large and representative trade in
bicycles and motorcycles. He was born in Salem township,
this county, January 6, 1859, and is a son of George and Eliza-
beth (Frank) Binau, natives of Germany, the former born
February 2, 1819, and the latter in 1822. The father came to
Salem township in 1846 and took up a government home-
stead claim, upon which he built a small log cabin, in which
he and his family resided for many years, during which time
he cleared the property and improved and developed it into
a model farm. He died in 1904, having survived his wife
since 1895. In their family were nine children, Peter, Phil-

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PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

273

lip, Catherine, George, John, Henry, Louis, Albert and
Elizabeth.

The district schools of Salem township afforded John
Binau, Jr., his educational opportunities, but he laid aside
his books at the age of thirteen and since that time has been
dependent upon his own resources. He began his indepen-
dent career as a farm laborer and continued as such until he
was able to rent land, after which he engaged in farming for
himself for ten years. He afterward spent some time at
various occupations but in 1907, in association with his son,
Paul, opened up a bicycle and motorcycle store in Upper San-
dusky, and this enterprise he has since conducted. His earn-
est, straightforward and well directed work has been re-
warded by success and he is now at the head of a large and
representative mercantile concern.

On the 24th of February, 1881, Mr. Binau married, in Up-
per Sandusky, Miss Caroline Bachman, a daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Daniel Bachman, the former a prosperous farmer
of Salem township. Mr. and Mrs. Binau have seven children,
Paul, Emma, Ella, Lottie, Martha, Nora and Genevia.

Mr. Binau is a member of the Lutheran church and politi-
cally is affiliated with the democratic party, having served as
constable for one year. He possesses untiring energy and de-
termination and his close application to business and his ex-
cellent management have brought him the success which is
his today and gained him a place among the representative
merchants of the city where he makes his home.

STEPHEN A. RANCK.

Stephen A. Ranck, county commissioner of Wyandot
county, and for many years influentially connected with agri-
cultural interests of Sycamore township, his native section,
was born August 22, 1861. He is a son of Benjamin R. and
Frances B. (Compton) Ranck, the former born in Pennsyl-
vania in 1838 and the latter in Richland county, Ohio, in 1842.
The father came to Ohio when he was twelve years of age
and settled in Sycamore township, where he grew to man-
hood. He spent his active life engaged in agricultural pur-
suits in this vicinity, retiring in 1900 and making his home

274

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

in Sycamore township, where he now resides. His wife
passed away in 1895. They had eight children: Stephen A.,
of this review; Sarah J.; Mary E.; Barbara E.; Emma J.;
Eli, who died at the age of six months; Laura A.; and
Grover C.

Up to the age of twenty Stephen A. Ranck attended dis-
trict school, following the usual course of studies, and after
he had laid aside his books spent three years upon the home-
stead, assisting in the work of operation. When he was
twenty-three he married and moved on to eighty acres of land
owned by his wife. Upon this property he resided for five
years, trading it at the end of that time for one hundred acres
in the same township. With characteristic energy he carried
forward the work of improvement and development upon the
farm, building a fine house, barns and outbuildings and every
year harvesting valuable crops as a reward for the care and
labor he bestowed upon the fields. In twenty years he became
numbered among the substantial and representative agri-
culturists of this vicinity. When his residence was
destroyed by fire he was obliged to move into the town of
Sycamore, where he now resides. He owns one hundred and
eighty acres of valuable and productive land, which he has
rented out since his retirement from farm life, and in addi-
tion a half interest in a business block in Sycamore and four
fine residences in the village. He is numbered among Wyan-
dot county’s most successful native sons and in the fifty-
second year of his age can look back upon a worthy and
upright life, crowned with prosperity and honor.

On the 23d of December, 1884, Mr. Ranck married, at
Sycamore, Edith Y. Wilson, a daughter of Levi L. and Eliza-
beth Wilson, the former a prosperous farmer of Tymochtee
township. Mrs. Ranck was born on December 10, 1865. Mr.
and Mrs. Ranck became the parents of three children: Ward
W., who died March 25, 1910; Paul J., who is a druggist in
Columbus, Ohio; and Elma. Mr. Ranck is affiliated with the
Knights of Pythias, and his religious views are in accord
with the doctrines of the Reformed church. He has taken
considerable interest in business life of Sycamore township
and he was a director of the Wyandot Mutual Insurance
Company. He has held that position for six years but has
been connected with the company as solicitor in Sycamore
township for fifteen years. He gives a firm allegiance to

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 275

the democratic party and has always been active in the
political life of his native township and county. He served
for three terms as township trustee and for one term as super-
visor and in 1910 was elected county commissioner. His able,
conscientious and straightforward work won him reelection
in 1912 and he is still serving, showing in the discharge of
his official duties that conscientious care for the interests of
the people which is true public spirit.

JARVIS W. BOWER.

One of the most respected and esteemed of Marseilles
township’s native sons is Jarvis W. Bower, who was born
upon his father’s farm March 9, 1840, his parents being
Michael and Ann E. (Studebaker) Bower. The father was
born in New York state on the 19th of January, 1818, and
was one of the pioneers in Ohio, coming to Marseilles town-
ship in 1835 and settling with his parents upon three hun-
dred and seventy-six acres of land. He grew to manhood in
this section and became well known and prosperous. His
first wife passed away on the 9th of August, 1847, and after-
ward Michael Bower married her sister, Miss Martha J.
Studebaker. By his first marriage he was the father of Jar-
vis W., Orison, Mary A., Martha and Wilhelmina. To his
second union were born four children, Ann E., Leander S.,
Georgiana and John M.

In the acquirement of an education Jarvis W. Bower
attended district school in Marseilles township, completing
his studies when he was twenty-one years of age. During
his childhood, however, he had spent a great deal of his time
assisting with the work of the homestead and when he laid
aside his books was a practical and skilful farmer. He turned
his attention naturally to the occupation to which he had
been reared but after following farming for a short time
became a cattle buyer and after two years a traveling sales-
man. He worked in this latter capacity for a period of four-
teen years and in this way gained a great deal of practical
experience in modern methods of merchandising, which he
utilized when he came to the village of Marseilles and opened
a general store. This he conducted successfully for five years,

276

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

but at the end of that time his building and stock were entirely
destroyed by fire, Mr. Bower at that time suffering a large
financial loss. He erected afterward a smaller store but this
also he eventually disposed of and he has since been engaged
in various occupations, meeting with the success which always
follows earnest and persistent labor.

On the 10th of September, 1883, at Bellefontaine, Ohio,
Mr. Bower was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Parrish,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parrish, of Logan county,
Ohio, the former a successful farmer and stock buyer. Mr.
and Mrs. Bower became the parents of four children. Orison
M. lives at home. Marie T. became the wife of Christopher
Ankney, proprietor of a lumber mill at Shelby, in Richland
county, Ohio, and they have one daughter, Sarah E. The
other children in this family are Sarah Belle and Mary E.
Mr. Bower is a member of the Methodist church and politi-
cally gives his allegiance to the republican party, having served
ns councilman of the village of Marseilles for one year. He
is honored as a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted
in Company A, One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio Vol-
unteer Infantry, and after two years and ten months’ able
service received his honorable discharge at Camp Chase.
A resident of Marseilles township since his birth, he is widely
known within its borders and the substantial qualities which
he has displayed in his citizenship and his business relations
have gained him a high place in the regard and good-will of
his fellow townsmen.

WILLIAM BAUGHMAN.

William Baughman, connected with important business
interests in Upper Sandusky as a successful dealer in hay
and feed, was born in Salem township, June 5, 1845, one of a
family of five children, namely: Anna, who died at the age of
fifty-eight; William, of this review; Alfred; Alice, who passed
away at the age of thirty; and David, who died when he was
five years of age.

William Baughman remained in Salem township until he
was thirteen years of age, acquiring his education in the dis-
trict schools. After he had laid aside his books he worked

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

277

as a farm hand until 1892 and then came to Upper Sandusky,
turning his attention to business interests. He established
himself as a dealer in hay and feed in his present location on
North Sandusky avenue and in spite of difficulties and ob-
stacles has had a successful business career, standing today
among the prominent and deservedly prosperous men of the
community.

Mr. Baughman married, on the 8th of April, 1872, in Ty-
mochtee township, Miss Maggie McNutt, a daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas McNutt, the former a prosperous farmer
of that locality. Mr. and Mrs. Baughman became the parents
of two children. Henry, the eldest, is a laborer in Tiffin, Ohio.
He married Lillie Clay and has three children. Harry F.
married Katherine Bartholomew, a daughter of John and
Louisa Bartholomew, of Crane township. The}^ became the
parents of three children: Royal H., Clarence J., and Perle,
who died in infancy.

Mr. Baughman is one of the well known men in local
democratic politics, having served from 1878 to 1880 as super-
visor of Tymochtee township and for two years as policeman
of Upper Sandusky. Fraternally he is connected with the
Knights of the Maccabees. He is well known in Wyandot
county and in Upper Sandusky, where he has resided since
1892 and where his genuine worth, his active life and his high
principles have commended him to the good will, trust and
respect of all with whom he has been associated.

NOAH A. CHADWICK.

Noah A. Chadwick, who for several years has been asso-
ciated with teaching and farming in Mifflin township, this
county, and who is also a prominent factor in local public
life, was born in the section where he now resides, August 26,
187-1. He is a son of Joseph and Anna B. (Binau) Chadwick,
the former a native of Ashley, Delaware county, born April
10, 1842, and the latter of Germany, born September 24, 1838.
She came to Salem township at the age of nine years and
there grew to womanhood, marrying the father of the subject
of this review in Ohio. She passed away January 8, 1910.

278

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

In this family were five children, Noah A., Joseph W.,
Lucinda M., Harry M. and one child who died in infancy.

Noah A. Chadwick acquired his education in the district
schools of his native township and supplemented this hv two
terms in a select school in Mifflin township and by one year in
the Northern Ohio University at Ada. He was reared to the
occupation of farming and at an early age was thoroughly
familiar with the best methods of carrying on the work of
the fields and caring for the stock. He did not, however,
immediately engage in this line of work, turning his attention
first to school-teaching, an occupation which he followed for
twenty years. During most of this time, however, he also
engaged in farming and is now known as one of the successful
and able agriculturists of this community. He has lived upon
his present farm for twelve years and now owns one hundred
and eight acres of land on sections 9, 15 and 16 and gives a
great deal of his time to its development and improvement.
In addition to growing fine crops of hay, corn, oats and clover
seed, he is interested also in stock-raising.

On the 4th of April, 1900, Mr. Chadwick married, in
Fulton county, Miss Corintha D. Stoddard, a daughter of
Dwight V. and Susan Stoddard, the latter of whom passed
away in 1908. The father is a farmer in Fulton county. Mr.
and Mrs. Chadwick have one daughter, Elsie S.

Fraternally Mr. Chadwick is identified with the Masonic
order and his religious views are in accord with the doctrines
of the Methodist church. He gives a general allegiance to
the republican party, voting, however, often independently
upon important questions. He has always taken an active
part in local public affairs and has served in various town-
ship offices, including those of assessor, to which he was
elected in 1903, and of justice of the peace, an office wrhich he
won on the independent ticket in 1909. He resigned it in
1912 to accept the position of township treasurer, to which he
was elected in November of the preceding year. In 1912 he
was a candidate on the republican ticket for state representa-
tive and, although defeated, the vote which he polled showed
his increasing political strength. His life has been such as
to give him high standing in the eyes of the community and
he is generally recognized as a man whose years of earnest
labor in this township have not only contributed to his own
prosperity but have also been of value to the community at

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

279

large. He comes of a family noted for patriotism and devo-
tion to their country when she has needed her young men
to fight her battles. The Chadwicks have a splendid record
of service in the wars of their native land. His father,
Joseph Chadwick, served as a private throughout the Civil
war, participating in many of the important battles of that
great struggle, including Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Gettys-
burg, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. In the battle
of Gettysburg he was captured but managed to escape. He
was likewise with Sherman on his march to the sea. The
grandfather of Noah A. Chadwick served under the Duke of
Wellington in the battle of Waterloo. Mr. Chadwick is also
well informed on historical subjects, possessing a library of
over three hundred volumes. His knowledge of events that
have swayed nations in the past, as well as the important issues
affecting our country today, is quite clear. He enjoys an
enviable reputation in his county as an able and eloquent
debater on public questions, he and Sheridan Bowen of
Mifflin township now having a series of debates with other
parties at Lovell, Wharton, Salem Center and Little San-
dusky. Mr. Chadwick is an honest, conscientious citizen,
striving to learn what is best for his community and heroically
fighting for the same whether it be in accord with his party
or church or not. He is a thorough American and a great
admirer of country life and scenes.

JAMES L. BARE.

James L. Bare, a successful and enterprising merchant of
McCutchenville, was born in Seneca county, Ohio, July 24,
1869, and is a son of James M. and Eliza J. (Penington) Bare.
The father was a native of Eden township, Wyandot county,
born in 1832, and was for many years closely identified with
agricultural interests of that section. He retired from active
life in 1897 and died in April, 1913. His wife passed away in
1876, at the age of thirty-six. To their union were born six
children, Seymour O., Ada C., John E., Elva M., Alma A.
and James L.

The last named was reared upon his father’s farm and
attended the district schools of Seneca county. When he

280

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

was twenty years of age he laid aside his books and for one
year thereafter worked with his father in the operation of the
farm. At the end of that time he rented the homestead and
developed and improved it until 1901, becoming rapidly suc-
cessful and gaining a high place among progressive agricul-
turists of that community. In the latter year he became
identified with mercantile interests of this county, opening a
general store in McCutchenville, which he has since success-
fully conducted. He carries about eight thousand dollars
worth of general merchandise, and because of his well selected
line of goods, reasonable prices and straightforward methods
he receives an extensive and profitable patronage and is well
known as one of the prosperous and enterprising residents of
this community. In addition to his store he owns sixty acres
of farm land in the vicinity, which he rents out, and a fine
house and residence lot in McCutchenville.

Mr. Bare has been twice married. His first union occurred
at Melmore, Ohio, December 28, 1891, when he wedded Miss
Anna Miller, who passed away in 1899, leaving three children,
Zellah M., and Earl and Mearl, twins. On December 12, 1906,
Mr. Bare married Miss Emma Carter, a daughter of Marion
and Laura Carter, of Seneca county.

Mr. Bare is well known in local republican circles and has
served as a member of the school board of Tymochtee town-
ship for one year. He has been postmaster of his town for
seven years, discharging his duties in a most satisfactory
manner. Both he and his wife attend the Methodist church
and are well known and highly esteemed throughout the com-
munity as people of genuine personal worth and of many
sterling traits of character.

HENRY P. GRAVES.

Henry F. Graves, whose business enterprise and spirit of
initiative are shown in the excellent results which he has
achieved, is one of the substantial and representative men
in business life in Carey, where he is identified with practi-
cally every important enterprise or movement formulated
in the city. He is president of one of the principal banks,
president of the telephone company, and in fact is a dominat-

HENRY F. GRAVES

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

283

in g factor in the general business life. He is a native of Ohio,
born in Xenia, May 21, 1852, and is a son of Noah F. and Mar-
tha M. (Rhinehart) Graves. The father was a native of Vir-
ginia and came to Ohio with his parents in his early life. He
was prominent as a stock dealer and his death occurred in
June, 1859, when he was thirty-eight years of age. His widow
makes her home in Findlay.

When Henry F. Graves was still a child his parents moved
from Xenia to Findlay, where he attended the public schools.
He began to earn his own livelihood at the age of fourteen,
when he laid aside his books and secured employment as a
farm laborer. He worked thus for four or five years and then
obtained a position in Findlay, where he drove an express
wagon for one year and then began clerking in a hardware
store. He received in compensation for his services sixteen
dollars per month for his first six months, then twenty, and
after a half a year gradually rising to twenty-five. He lived
upon this amount for five years. At the end of that time he
moved to Carey and obtained a position in a hardware store.
He was thus employed for seven years and then accepted a
clerkship in the private banking house conducted by D.
Straw & Son. Through successive stages of progress and
advancement he worked his way upward in financial circles,
gaining promotion after promotion and in 1890, when the
elder Mr. Straw died, Mr. Graves and Harry Straw took
charge of the bank. In 1895 Mr. Straw passed away and Mr.
Graves took over the full management of the enterprise, con-
ducting it as a private bank until 1902, when it was organized
as a state institution with Mr. Graves as president, a posi-
tion which he still holds. He has made this one of the sound,
safe and conservative institutions of its kind in the city and
in its management has evidenced the resourceful energy and
far-sighted judgment of an able financier. Naturally a man
of Mr. Graves’ ability and conscientiousness has been carried
forward into important relations with the general business
life, for he always seeks to promote those enterprises which
are of public benefit. Since the organization of the local tele-
phone company he has been its president and he was the main
instigator of the movement which resulted in the building
by the city of a municipal water plant, much credit being
due to him for the successful outcome of the project. He is
one of the largest stockholders in the Carey Porcelain Works,

voi. n— 1 5

284

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

an institution which he was largely instrumental in organ-
izing, and anything which tends to promote the business
progress and advancement of Carey receives his unqualified
indorsement and loyal support.

In August, 1882, Mr. Graves was united in marriage to
Miss Nora A. DeWitt, a daughter of Joseph DeWitt, and to
them were born two children, both of whom passed away in
infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Graves reside in a beautiful home on
Main street in Carey and are well known in social circles of
the city. Mr. Graves is a splendid example of the best type
of self-made man and he possesses in his character all the
energy, initiative and assurance of his class. His position in
business circles today is entirely due to his own labors and he
deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, for he
started out as a boy empty-handed. He has closely studied
the business conditions with which he has been connected, has
improved his opportunities and upon the sure foundation
of industry and close application has builded his advance-
ment.

SAMUEL WIEST.

Agricultural interests of Wyandot county are well repre-
sented by Samuel Wiest, who owns and operates a well
improved and valuable tract of four hundred and ninety-three
acres in Pitt township. He was born in Marion county,
August 20, 1857, and is a son of Christopher and Mary (Wilt)
Wiest, the former a native of Germany and the latter of
France. The father was born in the town of Basel in 1824
and was nine years of age when he came to America. His
family settled in Ohio and there he grew to manhood, follow-
ing farming during his active career, tie passed away in
1900, having survived his wife since December 18, 1889. In
their family were twelve children: Samuel, of this review;
Lena; Caroline, who died in infancy; Louisa, Barbara, John,
Caroline, the second of the name; Christina; Christopher, who
passed away at the age of twenty-four; Maggie, Charles, and
one child, who died in infancy.

Samuel Wiest attended the public schools of Little San-
dusky until he was eighteen years of age and after laying aside

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

285

his books spent three years upon his father’s farm. At the
end of that time he purchased land of his own, buying one
hundred and twenty acres in Hardin county, upon which he
resided for nine years, trading it finally for eighty acres in
Antrim township, Wyandot county, a portion of the farm
upon which he still resides. Since that time he has added to
his holdings until they now comprise four hundred and nine-
ty-three acres, lying in Pitt township. Upon this property he
has made substantial improvements in buildings and equip-
ment and each year fine harvests of hay, corn, wheat and oats
reward the care and labor he bestows upon the fields. Mr.
Wiest gives much of his attention to stock-raising, keeping-
fourteen horses, one hundred and fifty hogs and five hundred
sheep and making a specialty of breeding and raising high-
grade Shorthorn cattle.

On the 24th of July, 1881, Mr. Wiest married, at Larue,
Ohio, Miss Martha Alice Verden, a daughter of Henry H.
and Mary (Ettecker) Verden. Mrs. Wiest passed away
August 16, 1911, leaving one son, Floyd, who married Nellie
Beers, of Marion county, by whom he has one child, Thelma M.

Mr. Wiest gives his allegiance to the democratic party and
has served with ability and conscientiousness in various offi-
cial positions, having been for twelve years township trustee,
for seven years treasurer of the school board and for twelve
years a school director. He belongs to the Knights of the
Maccabees and is affiliated also with the Farmers Mutual
Protective Association of Wyandot county. His strong and
salient characteristics are such as endear him to all who come
within the close circle of his friendship and wherever he is
known he is respected and honored.

RALPH L. DUNLAP.

Ralph L. Dunlap, devoting his life to general agricultural
pursuits, is now engaged in the cultivation of an excellent tract
of land of one hundred and thirty-eight acres situated in Syca-
more township. The neat and thrifty appearance of the place
indicates his practical methods and careful supervision and1
his labors are being attended with substantial success. He
was born in Texas township, Crawford county, Ohio, August

286

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

13, 1872, and is one of a large family of children whose par-
ents were James and Mary (Liversberger) Dunlap. The
father was born in Pennsylvania in 1832 but was only three
years of age when brought to Ohio, so that he was practically
reared in this state. After he had attained his majority he
purchased a tract of land in Eden township, Wyandot county,
and became a successful farmer, carefully and systematically
cultivating his fields until his labors were rewarded with gen-
erous harvests. He now lives in Texas township, Crawford
county, but his wife, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, in
1830, died in 1895. Their children were as follows: Mrs.

Florence Barrack, a widow residing in Tiffin, Ohio, has three
children: James, Cora and Inez. Laura became the wife

of Scott Hazlitt, a farmer, and they lost one child. Jennie is
the deceased wife of William Tuttle. Elmer, a retired farmer,
married J ennie Miller and has two children, Harry and Lloyd.
Sidney, proprietor of a livery stable, married Lizzie Myers.
Minnie died in 1889. Elva is the wife of Horace Miller, a
real-estate dealer, and they have three children : Earl,

Beulah and Gorman.

The other member of the family is Ralph L. Dunlap, whose
name introduces this record. He was reared in Crawford
county and pursued his education in the district schools there
until nineteen years of age. He began providing for his own
support by working as a farm hand and later he was employed
in a mill in Shelby until 1900. He then turned his attention
to general agricultural pursuits, renting one hundred and
thirty-eight acres of land from his father-in-law. He has been
very successful in his farming operations, annually gathering
good crops of hay, corn and wheat, which he sells on the local
market. He also has from thirty to fifty head of hogs upon
his place and other stock usually found upon a model farm.

On the 14th of February, 1894, near Sycamore, Mr. Dunlap
was united in marriage to Miss Maud Badger, a daughter of
Thomas and Eliza (Saffell) Badger, who were farming peo-
ple of Sycamore township. The children of this marriage are
two daughters, Mildred and Mabel. The parents hold mem-
bership in the Reformed church and their lives are passed in
consistent harmony with their principles. Mr. Dunlap is also
a member of the Masonic fraternity and he votes with the
democratic party but he never seeks nor desires office, pre-
ferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

287

He has an attractive modern home and his farm is equipped
with the latest improved machinery and all up-to-date acces-
sories, enabling him to conduct the farm work in the best
possible manner. He is energetic and industrious, and his
carefully directed labors are bringing to him well earned suc-
cess.

HENRY LINCOLN KUENZLI.

Henry Lincoln Kuenzli, of the firm of Kuenzli Brothers,
manufacturers of drain tile and retail hardware dealers, at
Nevada, Wyandot county, Ohio, was born at Upper Sandusky,
Ohio, April 21, 1865. He is the third son of Frederick and
Josephine (Hochstetler) Kuenzli. The father, a son of
Samuel and Elizabeth (Ramsier) Kuenzli, the former born
in 1790 in Canton Bern, Switzerland, was a native of that
country, born in Canton Bern, May 23, 1834, and emigrated
to America with his parents in his infancy. The family
settled in Holmes county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood,
removing to Upper Sandusky, Wyandot county, Ohio, shortly
after his marriage, which occurred March 18, 1859, at Navarre,
Ohio. His death occurred December 23, 1891. The ancestry
of the Kuenzli family has honorable mention in the history
and military records of Switzerland, among them being Col-
onel Joseph Kuenzli, who served his country gallantly in sup-
pression of an insurrection, and was rewarded with promotion
to high official position in the national government.

The mother was a member of the Hochstetler family, whose
genealogy is traced back for six generations, the number of
her father’s family (Elias Hochstetler) being 2,207. His
ancestor was Jacob Hochstetler, who was born in the high-
lands of Germany, along the Rhine, and who emigrated to
America, and arrived at Philadelphia, September 1, 1736, as
recorded in the history of the Hochstetler family, which
volume includes one thousand one hundred and ninety-one
pages, and contains a biography of over ten thousand indivi-
duals, together with mqch interesting religious and historical
matter. The mother was born April 18, 1839, near Walnut
Creek, Holmes county, Ohio, and died December 11, 1905, at
Nevada, Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupation and

288

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

also a tanner by trade. In their family were ten children:
Frederick, deceased; Sophia, now Mrs. E. G. Blaser, of Upper
Sandusky, Ohio ; Edward S., who is the partner of our subject
in the business enterprises above noted; Henry L., of this
review; Clara, deceased; Charles A., now a student for the
ministry at Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio; John W.
deceased; William T., a farmer residing in Eden township;
Grace V., now Mrs. W. G. Milligan, also of Eden township ;
and Elmer D., employed as clerk with the firm as above given.

H. L. Kuenzli, in the acquirement of his education, at-
tended the public schools at Upper Sandusky, and the country
schools, continuing with his parents and assisting with the
work upon the farm until his twenty-third year, when, with
his brother-in-law^, E. G. Blaser, and his brother, Edwrard S.,
was formed the firm of Blaser & Kuenzli Brothers. The then
new firm from which Mr. Blaser retired in 1902, assumed
ownership and management of the drain tile manufacturing
industry at Nevada, Ohio, on the first day of April, 1888, to
which the hardware business was added in 1894, and both of
which enterprises, since the retirement of Mr. Blaser, have
been successfully continued by the two brothers under the well
known firm name of Kuenzli Brothers.

Mr. Kuenzli was married November 26, 1890, by Rev. D.
H. Wonder, in Eden township, to Viola B., daughter of S. M.
and Hester A. (Bowlby) Sigler. Mrs. Kuenzli, who was
born in Antrim township, Wyandot county, Ohio, January
12, 1870, was educated in the district schools, and for several
years prior to her marriage was engaged in teaching. The
children of Mr. and Mrs. Kuenzli are: Ruth B., born Sep-
tember 11, 1891, a graduate of both the Nevada and Upper
Sandusky high schools, and now a student in Oberlin College
in the third year of a classical course ; and Thaddeus G., born
June 21, 1908, a bright and active child of five years.

Mr. Kuenzli gives his allegiance to the republican party
and has actively participated in public life in his community,
doing much to promote its interests. Fraternally, he has been
a Knight of Pythias for tw^enty-four years, while in the
Masonic order he holds membership with Nevada Lodge, No.
343, F. & A. M. and Nevada Chapter, No. 186, R. A. M., and
has attained the rank of a Knight Templar, belonging to
the Marion Commandery, No. 36. His religion is that of the
Evangelical church, and for thirty years he has been a member

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

289

of Salem parish in Eden township. Above all other associa-
tions, and above all other institutions, Mr. Kuenzli holds high
and is distinctively devoted to his home. Therein his beliefs
are centered on the highest interests of life, and to the com-
panion of his life and home he freely ascribes full credit for
any success to which he may have attained.

EUGENE STRAW.

Eugene Straw owns and operates a fine farm of three hun-
dred and seventy-five acres on section 31, Pitt township, con-
stituting the homestead upon which he was born. By constant
supervision and practical methods of operation he has made
this a valuable and productive property and in its cultivation,
as in all business affairs, has met with that success which fol-
lows earnest, straightforward and persistent labor. His birth
occurred on the 11th of June, 1854, and he is a son of Louis
and Rebecca (Miller) Straw, the former a native of Vermont
and the latter of Kentucky. The father came to Ohio when he
was still a young man and settled in Pitt township, where he
turned his attention to general farming, an occupation which
he followed until his death in 1889. The mother has also
passed away, her death having occurred in 1879. Louis Straw
had been twice married. His first union was with Miss Moody,
who died one year after their marriage, leaving one child,
Dudley. By his union with the mother of the subject of this
review he had eight children, Caroline, Eugene, Leander,
Edith, Cannie, Lenora and Lemora, twins, and Catherine.

Eugene Straw acquired his education in the district schools
of Pitt township and spent his summers assisting his father
with the work of the farm. When he was eighteen he laid
aside his books and for some time thereafter continued upon
the homestead, but in 1881 moved to his father-in-law’s prop-
erty, where he remained for ten years. At the expiration of
that time he purchased the old homestead and upon this he
has now resided since 1892. It comprises three hundred and
seventy-five acres lying in Marseilles and Pitt townships,
most of the property being located on section 31, Pitt town-
ship, and it is a well improved, valuable and productive prop-
erty, its neat and attractive appearance evidencing the care-

290

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ful supervision and practical labor he has bestowed upon it.
In addition to tilling the fields and raising hay, corn and
oats, which form his principal crops, Mr. Straw is also exten-
sively interested in stock-raising, specializing in the breeding
of sheep and hogs, of which he has about three hundred each.
These he sells in the local markets, where they command a high
price and a ready sale. He owns besides the farm upon which
he resides another on section 6, Pitt township, and on sections
1 and 3, Marseilles township, and is one of the extensive land-
owners in this vicinity.

On the 1st of February, 1877, Mr. Straw married, in
Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Miss Ada Bowen, a daughter of
Gideon and Deborah (Wooley) Bowen, of that city, the for-
mer one of the oldest settlers of Wyandot county. He settled
here the year after the Indians had left this section of the
state and plowed and planted oats upon the property where
the Wyandot county courthouse now stands. Mr. and Mrs.
Straw, having no children of their own, have adopted a son,
Curtis. Mr. Straw is politically identified with the repub-
lican party, having served as township trustee and as a mem-
ber of the school board. He is one of the best known and
most widely popular men in the southern part of Wyandot
county and his place in the favorable regard of the commu-
nity has come to him by reason of his honorable, straight-
forward and upright life and his high standards of business
and personal integrity. Many of his stanchest friends have
known him from childhood and to them his name is a synonym
for honor in business, loyalty in citizenship and fidelity to
all the duties and obligations of life.

PHILIP UNCAPHER.

Philip Uncapher has, since 1886, been connected with
important mercantile interests in Marseilles, where as head
of the firm of Philip Uncapher & Son he is now in control
of a large and well managed business enterprise. He was
born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, on the 27th of
December, 1846, and is a son of Andrew and Mary A. (Horrel)
Uncapher, both of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The father was
born in Westmoreland county in 1811 and acquired an excel-
lent education in the schools of that vicinity. After laying

PHILIP UNCAPHLR

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

293

aside his books he was for a few years employed as a book-
keeper and he then turned his attention to the tanner’s trade,
which he followed until 1860, when he came west, settling
in Marseilles township, Wyandot county, Ohio. Here he pur-
chased four hundred acres of land and gave his entire atten-
tion to its improvement and development for many years,
becoming one of the prosperous and substantial agriculturists
of the community. He died in the fall of 1861 and was sur-
vived by his wife for some time. In their family were the fol-
lowing children: Theodore, Philip, Joseph, Jackson, Mary,
George, John, John T. and Sarah E.

Philip Uncapher spent his childhood upon his father’s
farm in Marseilles township, dividing his time between work
upon the homestead and attendance at the district school.
After he laid aside his books he remained with his father
until after the latter’s death in 1861, when he inherited eighty
acres of land, to which he subsequently added eighty more.
He developed and improved this fine property until 1886,
but in that year turned his attention to business pursuits,
forming a partnership with his brother, Theodore. Together
they opened a general store in Marseilles and they built up
in the course of years a well managed and profitable enter-
prise, both continuing active in its conduct until 1911, when
Theodore passed away. His interest was purchased by Philip
Uncapher ’s son, Ernest, and the business was reorganized
under the firm name of Philip Uncapher & Son. The firm
carries a well selected stock of goods, valued at ten thousand
dollars, and controls a large and continually growing trade,
which is accorded to them in recognition of the fine quality
of the goods which they handle, their reasonable prices and
their earnest desire to please their patrons.

On the 21st of August, 1873, Mr. Uncapher was united in
marriage to Miss Elizabeth Modd, a daughter of Thomas and
Sarah (Wing) Modd, natives of England, who in 1851 came
to America, settling in Logan county, Ohio, where the father
followed farming for some time. Afterward they removed
to Hardin county where he still lives retired. Mr. and Mrs.
Uncapher became the parents of three children. The eldest,
Ernest M., is a partner with his father in the mercantile busi-
ness in Marseilles. He married Miss Sarah A. Young. Philip,
Jr., resides upon his father’s farm in Marseilles township.
He married Miss Blanche E. Starner, and they have two chil-

294

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

dren, Mary E. and Theodore. Chastina married Oris Jones,
a teacher in the country school. The family of Mr. Uncapher
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fra-
ternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. He has for a long time been well known in local poli-
tics and has held some important official positions, including
those of justice of the peace, township trustee and a member of
the school board. Having resided in Marseilles or the vicinity
for many years, he is widely and favorably known here as a
man who in business, in citizenship and in all the relations
of life has steadfastly adhered to high standards of thought
and action, winning in the course of years a success which
places him today among the substantial merchants and
representative citizens.

MICHAEL G. SCHOENBERGER.

Michael G. Schoenberger, a retired agriculturist residing
on section 20, Salem township, has been a resident of Wyandot
county throughout practically his entire life and has witnessed
the growth and development of the region during the past
two-thirds of a century. Throughout his active business
career he followed farming and stock-raising on an extensive
scale and is still the owner of four hundred and thirty acres
of valuable land in Salem township as well as two fine resi-
dences in Upper Sandusky. His birth occurred in Wooster,
Wayne county, Ohio, on the 2d of May, 1845, his parents being
George and Caroline (Long) Schoenberger, the former a
native of Germany and the latter of Harrisburg, Pennsyl-
vania. George Schoenberger, whose natal year was 1818,
crossed the Atlantic when a young man of eighteen and took
up his abode in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he remained
for five years, on the expiration of which period he removed
to Wayne county, Ohio. He was engaged in business as a
distiller until twenty-six years of age. In 1847 he came to
Wyandot county and here devoted his attention to general
agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life,
passing away on the 23d of June, 1897. The period of his
residence in this county covered a half century and in his
passing the community lost a pioneer whose labors had been

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

295

a factor in the work of progress and upbuilding here. For
more than a third of a century he had survived his wife, who
was called to her final rest on the 12th of November, 1862, at
the age of thirty-nine. Their children were as follows:
Michael G., of this review; Joseph, deceased; Samuel; John
and George, twins, of whom the latter has passed away;
Caroline and Emaline, twins ; Susan ; Amos ; George ; David ;
and one who died in infancy.

Michael G. Schoenberger began his education in the dis-
trict schools of Salem township as a lad of ten years but spent
only from three to six weeks each year at his studies, which
were continued in this desultory manner until he had attained
the age of eighteen. Though his educational advantages were
limited, he has constantly augmented his knowledge by read-
ing, experience and observation and is a well informed man.
He assisted his father in the work of the home farm until
twenty-one years of age and during the following three years
was employed as a farm hand, receiving a wage of one dollar
per day. At the age of twenty-four years he was married, his
wife owning a half interest in a tract of ninety-six acres in
Tvmochtee township, to the cultivation of which he devoted
his attention for nine years. On the expiration of that period
he disposed of the property and purchased one hundred and
forty-seven acres of land in Salem township. As time passed
and his financial resources increased, owing to his untiring
industry and capable management, he augmented his hold-
ings by additional purchase and now owns four valuable farms
on sections 19, 20, 29 and 30, Salem township, comprising
four hundred and thirty acres of land. In connection with
the cultivation of cereals he raised and fed stock on an exten-
sive scale, making a specialty of cattle, sheep and hogs. At
the present time he is enjoying the fruits of his former toil in
well earned ease. He owns two handsome residences in Upper
Sandusky and well deserves a place among the substantial and
representative citizens of this county.

On the 8th of April, 1869, in Salem township, Mr. Schoen-
berger was joined in wedlock to Miss Margaret Altveter, her
parents being Theobald and Mary Altveter, farming people
of that township. Mr. and Mrs. Schoenberger are the parents
of seven children, as follows: Louis, a merchant of Marion,
Ohio, who wedded Miss Ella Kimmel, who passed away in
1911, leaving two children, Esther and Russell; Edward, a

296

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

farmer of Salem township, who married Miss Leefe Weber
and has one child, Wave; Ira, an agriculturist of Salem town-
ship, who married Miss Olga Weis and has one child, Foster;
Albert, an agriculturist of Salem township, who wedded Miss
Carrie Schlup and has two children, Gale and Cleve ; Charles,
a farmer of Salem township, who wedded Miss Mary Pfeiffer
and has one child, Frieda ; Michael, an agriculturist of Salem
township, who married Miss Tillie Binau and has two chil-
dren, Mary M. and Paul ; and Arthur, who is a school teacher
and bookkeeper of Lima, Ohio.

In his political views Mr. Schoenberger is a democrat,
exercising his right of franchise in support of the men and
measures of that party. He served on the school board in
Salem township for nine years and for a period of five years
acted as trustee of that township. Though not a member of
any religious organization, he attends the services of the
Reformed church. His memory forms a connecting link
between the pioneer past and the progressive present. Dur-
ing his early life here the district was still largely covered with
timber and he vividly remembers assisting his father in clear-
ing the land, hapling the logs by ox team out of the clearing
and then piling them up to burn. His mother also assisted in
the task of clearing and spliting fence rails, bravely doing her
part to establish a home in the wilderness. Michael G.
Schoenberger has lived to witness the result and enjoy the
reward of their combined labors and is honored as a pioneer
whose efforts were an important factor in the growth and
upbuilding of the community. He is still hale and hearty,
enjoying excellent health for one of his years, and in the even-
ing of a well spent life is surrounded by material comforts
and many friends.

MYRON R. EMPTAGE.

Myron R. Emptage, prominently connected with farming
interests as part owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land
on section 17, Marseilles township, and with business interests
as the founder and proprietor of a large farm implement
depot in Marseilles, is a native of this part of Wyandot county,
born May 17, 1878. He is a son of Thomas and Mary

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

297

J. (Atkinson) Emptage, natives of Ohio, the former born in
Richland county, on the 24th of October, 1836, and the latter
in Tuscarawas county, on the 23d of December, 1840. The
father, who was for many years a prominent and substantial
farmer of Wyandot county, is now living retired, and makes
his home in Marseilles. He and his wife became the parents
of four children. Ina J. married J. C. Rubins, a ranch owner
in California. He died in 1901, leaving four children, Lula
E., Paul F., Charlotte and Homer J. Mrs. Rubins makes her
home in Marseilles. James A. is engaged in farming in
Marseilles township. He married Anna Rubins, and they
have seven children, Carrie, Blanche, Dwight, Harold, Ed-
ward, Donald and Mildred. Mary passed away in 1897.
Myron R. is the subject of this review.

The public schools of Marseilles township afforded Myron
R. Emptage his educational opportunities and in his child-
hood he divided his time between his studies and work upon
his father’s homestead. At the age of nineteen he laid aside
his books but continued to assist his father until he and his
brother, James A., purchased the homestead of one hundred
and sixty acres, which they farmed in partnership until 1912,
when Myron R. Emptage left the farm and came to Marseilles.
He is still interested in the property, however, and upon it
fine crops of hay, corn and oats are raised, Mr. Emptage being
in addition specially interested in the raising of pure bred
Merino Delaine sheep, of which he has at present about one
hundred head. He is also a breeder on an extensive scale of
pure bred Duroc Jersey hogs and has a large number of these
animals. In 1912 he opened in Marseilles a farm implement
depot, which he has since conducted, and the business has
grown in a remarkable way, the stock being now valued at
five thousand dollars. A large and lucrative patronage has
been accorded to him, for the excellent quality of the goods
which he handles has become widely known, as has also his
straightforward business methods and his honorable dealings.

Mr. Emptage married, in Marseilles, on the 15th of April,
1900, Miss Nellie E. Clark, a daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Clark,
of that village. Mr. and Mrs. Emptage are members of the
Methodist church and well known in social and religious cir-
cles. Mr. Emptage is honored as a veteran of the Spanisli-
American war, having served for eight months during that
conflict as a member of Company B, Second Ohio Volunteer

298

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Infantry. He was also orderly for John A. Logan, Jr., and
in this capacity served in Cuba for about forty days, receiving
his honorable discharge on the 12th of February, 1899. He
belongs to the American and Delaine Merino Record Associa-
tion of Delaware, Ohio. Politically he gives his allegiance
to the republican party and is interested in all that pertains
to the general progress, cooperating in many movements for
the good of the community and proving himself at all times a
public-spirited and progressive citizen as well as an able busi-
ness man and a successful farmer.

FRANCIS F. HOFFMAN.

Francis F. Hoffman is operating the farm in Crane town-
ship upon which he was born, and in the conduct of his busi-
ness affairs is meeting with that gratifying measure of success
which always rewards earnest and intelligently directed
labor. His birth occurred on the 23d of December, 1869, his
parents being Eli and Rebecca (Reiter) Hoffman, both
natives of Pennsylvania, the former born July 29, 1826, and
the latter in 1829. The father came to Ohio in pioneer times,
making the journey by wagon from Pennsylvania, and set-
tled on a farm in Crane township, from which he cleared the
heavy growth of timber in order to break the virgin soil.
With the lumber cut down he erected with his own hands a
log cabin and barn and continued to reside upon the property
for many years, eventually replacing the original dwelling
with a modern residence. He has been identified with much of
the growth and development of this section of the state and is
classed among the prominent and representative citizens.
He has now retired from active life and has made his home
with his son since 1896. His wfife passed away in 1909. They
were the parents of ten children : Henrietta L. ; Marie ; Levi
W. ; James W., who died at the age of three years; Hannah
L. ; Stephen S. ; Samuel; Robert M. ; Francis F., of this re-
view; and Cora.

In the acquirement of an education, Francis F. Hoffman
attended district school in Crane township, laying aside his
books at the age of eighteen, after which he worked upon his
father’s farm until he was twenty-one, in which year he went

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

299

to Columbus, Ohio. He worked in that city for one year and
then returned home and joined his father in the conduct of
the family homestead, operating it with him on shares for
three years. At the end of that time he purchased the prop-
erty and has since been very successful in its further devel-
opment. He owns eighty acres of land on section 27 and raises
hay, corn, oats and wheat, which he sells in the markets of
Upper Sandusky. In addition to the work of the fields he
makes a specialty of breeding cattle, horses and hogs, and is
widely recognized as one of the progressive and enterprising
agriculturists of the community.

On March 13, 1892, Mr. Hoffman was united in marriage,
at Upper Sandusky, to Miss Maud I. Tsclianen, a daughter
of Peter and Anna (Smalley) Tschanen, the former a promi-
nent farmer of Crane township. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman be-
came the parents of a daughter, Ruth Almira, who was born
June 7, 1893, and who died April 23, 1899.

Mr. Hoffman attends the German Lutheran church but
does not hold membership in any religious organization. He
is a democrat in his political beliefs and fraternally is iden-
tified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Resid-
ing in Crane township since his birth, he is widely known
here and the measure of respect accorded him indicates that
his life has been an honorable and upright one. In his busi-
ness career he has placed his dependence upon the substantial
qualities of perseverance, determination and ready use of
opportunity, and in the conduct of his farm has, therefore,
met with signal success.

EDWIN R. LESLIE.

Edwin R. Leslie is an enterprising and progressive young
farmer of Mifflin township, owning and operating eighty acres
of land on section 22. He is a native son of Wyandot county,
born in Upper Sandusky, February 25, 1887, his parents be-
ing Harmon and Sarah (Lindsey) Leslie, natives of Marion
county, the former born in 1852 and the latter in 1849. Their
marriage occurred in 1880 and to their union were born two
children: James W., who married Sylvia E. Gamble in 1904;
and Edwin R., of this review. The father of our subject

300

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

passed away September 19, 1895, and on March 1, 1900, his
widow married F. M. Chenoweth, who died October 24, 1904.

Edwin R. Leslie acquired his early education in the pub-
lic schools of Upper Sandusky, and supplemented this by a
course in the Delaware Business College, from which he was
graduated November 28, 1905. He afterward worked one
year with the Brown Hoisting Machine Company in Cleve-
land and then removed on to a farm in Mifflin township,
whereon he has since resided. He owns eighty acres of land,
with substantial improvements, including a good residence,
barns and granaries, and by constant and well directed work
he has made this one of the fine agricultural properties of the
locality. Excellent crops of corn and oats annually reward
the care and labor he bestows upon the fields and his land is
well improved and highly developed.

On the 15th of March, 1907, Mr. Leslie was united in mar-
riage, in Mifflin township, to Miss Bertha E. Fox, a daughter
of Frank M. and Julia Fox. They have three children, Letta
L., Frank H. and Fred E. Mr. Leslie gives his allegiance to
the republican party and fraternally is affiliated with the
Masons. He is a devout member of the Methodist church and
is well known and highly esteemed througout Wyandot
county, where he has spent his entire life.

MYRON Y. CASE.

Myron V. Case, who since his childhood has been a resi-
dent of Wyandot county, is now a partner in the grocery firm
of Case & McLain. South Dakota numbers him among her
native sons, for he was born at Redfield, that state, December
29, 1884, a son of Francis O. and Lydia (Foucht) Case. The
father was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1847, and spent
his entire active life engaged in farming, following that occu-
pation in Ohio, Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska and dying
in the latter state in 1909. The mother was born in Perry
county, Ohio, in 1850 and passed away in 1887. In their
family were three children, Pliny W., Carl C. and Myron Y.

After the death of his mother, which occurred when he was
only two years of age, Myron Y. Case became a member of
the household of his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Sol Hotter-

EARL F. McCLAIN MYRON V. CASE

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 303

man, of Pitt township, with whom he grew to manhood. He
acquired his early education in the district schools and when
he was seventeen years of age entered the summer school in
Upper Sandusky, which he attended for two terms. This
was followed by a six months’ course at the Ada Business
College, after which he began teaching, an occupation which
he followed in the district and village schools of Wyandot
county for about ten years. At the end of that time he turned
his attention to commercial pursuits, forming in 1912 a part-
nership with E. F. McLain and organized the present grocery
firm of Case & McLain. In the intervening year they have
built up an enviable business and are today ranked among the
leading grocers of the town. Their trade is extensive and
they cater to the best patronage, carrying a large and well
selected line of staple and fancy groceries. Mr. Case is in
addition a stockholder in the Buckeye Foundry & Machine
Company.

On September 22, 1910, in Antrim township, Mr. Case was
united in marriage to Miss Iva Ritterspach, a daughter of
Simon and Eliza Ritterspach, the former a well known farmer
of Antrim township. Mr. and Mrs. Case are the parents of
a son, Robert Donald. Mr. Case belongs to the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and the Improved Order of Red Men
and while he was engaged in teaching was president of the
Wyandot County Teachers’ Institute and secretary of the
Ohio Teachers’ Reading Circle. He gives his allegiance to
the democratic party, and is a devout member of the Reformed
church. He is a man of exemplary habits, strict integrity and
strong personality and is well known in the county, holding
the high esteem of all who have business and social relations
with him.

EARL FOUGHT McCLAIN.

Earl Foucht McClain, a partner in the firm of Case &
McClain of Upper Sandusky, proprietors of one of the lead-
ing grocery stores of the city, was born on the 28th of June,
1885, in Pitt township, Wyandot county, and is a son of A. L.
and Alvena (Foucht) McClain, the former a representative
of one of the old families of the county, having been born and

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304

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

reared in the locality in which his entire life has been spent.
His wife was born at the place where she now resides. In
their family were six children, four sons and two daughters,
all of whom are yet living in Wyandot county and are with
their parents save one son, who is a resident of Lima, Ohio.
In order of birth the children are Earl Foucht, Franklin E.,
Blanch Margarite, Thomas W., Catherine E. and Luke.

Earl McClain attended the public schools until twenty
years of age and then began farming for himself, being thus
engaged for five years. He then took charge of his father’s
farm, which he managed for a year, and on the expiration of
that period he entered into partnership with Myron V. Case,
of Upper Sandusky, in the conduct of a grocery business.
They are among the most popular firms in the beautiful little
city where they conduct their store. Both are young men
and liked because of their many excellent traits of character.
Mr. McClain is energetic, ambitious and enterprising and it
takes no gift of prophesy to recognize that his will be a success-
ful future. It is such young men who push forward the wheels
of progress, discarding old for new conditions, thus pro-
moting the development and upbuilding of the community.
He has a host of warm friends and wherever known is held in
high esteem.

CHARLES II. MEINZER.

Charles H. Meinzer, carrying on general farming on sec-
tion 1, Mifflin township, was born in Germany, February 8,
1857. His father, Charles F. Meinzer, also a native of that
country, was born in 1812 and there wedded Katherine Hager,
a native of Germany, born in 1822. In the year 1861 they
crossed the Atlantic to America, settling in Wyandot county,
Ohio, where the father followed the occupation of farming.
His wife died in 1878 and he survived until 1893, having for
thirty-one years been a resident of Wyandot county. In their
family were the following named : Frederick married Martha
Rocky, who died in 1901, leaving one child, and since then he
has wedded Bora Messmer. William, the second son, married
Catherine Smith and died in 1877, leaving one child. Caroline
became the wife of Peter Binau and died in 1892, leaving one

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

305

child. Louisa is the widow of John Bartholomew, who died in
1890, leaving four children. Pauline became the wife of
Henry Smith and died in 1885, leaving five children. Charles
H. is the next in the family. Phillip married Susie Bower
and has three children. John married Emma Clinger.

Upon the old homestead in Mifflin township, Charles H.
Meinzer spent his youthful days, between the ages of four and
twenty-one years, and during that period was a pupil in the
public schools but afterward worked upon a farm, thus start-
ing out in life on his own account. He carefully saved his
earnings until the same were sufficient to enable him to pur-
chase forty acres of land in 1880. This he cleared and there he
built a home in 1888, cultivating and improving this farm until
1892, when he sold it and invested in one hundred and sixty
acres on sections 35 and 36, Salem township, and on section 1,
Mifflin township, his home being across the line in the latter
township. In 1913 he added forty-three acres to his holdings
which are located on section 12, Mifflin township. He has a
well developed property, making a specialty of the raising of
hay, wheat, corn, oats and sugar beets and annually he gathers
good crops, for he follows practical and progressive methods
of farming, rotating his crops and keeping the soil in excellent
condition. He also has fourteen head of cattle and fifty hogs,
and sells the products of his farm in the local market. He
likewise owns three good residences in Upper Sandusky and
has been a successful and enterprising business man whose
prosperity has been the direct result of well directed labor.
When his first farm came into his possession it was covered
with stumps and alone he performed the task of clearing it,
as he had previously cleared most of the land which his father
bought. While his work was of a very arduous nature in
clearing his fields and preparing them for the plow, he remem-
bers those days as the happiest period of his life.

On the 25th of April, 1882, at Tiffin, Ohio, Mr. Meinzer
was united in marriage to Miss Lena Hunker, who died in
1889, and on the 5th of July, 1894, in Mifflin township, he
wedded Miss Minnie Zimmerman, who came from Germany
in 1882, and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl F. Zimmerman.
Her father was a cabinet-maker, who died in 1875, in Ger-
many, where his wife had passed away in 1873. Mr. and Mrs.
Meinzer have become the parents of three sons: Roy, Arthur
and Carl.

306

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

In politics Mr. Meinzer is an independent democrat, fre-
quently voting with the party yet supporting men and meas-
sures without regard to party connection if his judgment
deems this the wisest step. He served as school director for
three years and is interested in the cause of progressive edu-
cation. His religious faith is that of the German Lutheran
church. Such is the life history of one of Wyandot county’s
self-made men. He certainly deserves much credit for what
he has accomplished, as his prosperity is the direct result of
earnest, indefatigable effort. His example should serve to
encourage and inspire others, showing what may be accom-
plished when industry and ambition lead the way.

SAMUEL W. ALTHOUSE.

Samuel W. Althouse, a prominent tile manufacturer and
farmer of Marseilles township, is a native of Ohio, born in
Crane township, Wyandot county, February 21, 1853. His
father, Christian Althouse, was born in Canton Bern, Swit-
zerland, on the 20th of August, 1821, and when he was thir-
teen years of age crossed the Atlantic to America, settling im-
mediately in Holmes county, Ohio, where he remained for
twelve years. In 1847 he moved to Wyandot county, becom-
ing numbered among the pioneers in this part of the state, and
he carried on general agricultural pursuits upon his farm in
Crane township until his death, which occurred in 1886. He
married, on the 24th of March, 1851, Miss Anna Gerrich, who
was born in Switzerland on the 8th of July, 1827. She came
to America in 1849, settling immediately in Wyandot county,
where she died March 25, 1887. She was a devout member of
the German Reformed church. In this family were eleven
children: Lizzie, who has passed away; Samuel W., of this
review; Harriett; John; Caroline; Carl; Mary, who died in
1901; William; George, who has passed away; Emma, whose
death occurred January 19, 1910; and Alvin.

Samuel W. Althouse attended school in Crane township
until he was sixteen years of age and from his early childhood
assisted with the work of the homestead, becoming a skilful
and practical agriculturist. After laying aside his books he
remained with his father upon the farm until after he had

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 307

attained his majority, when he tnrned his attention to the
carpenter’s trade, working at it for five years and afterward
engaging in the sawmill business. In 1892, after ten years
in the latter occupation, he purchased a tile plant in Mar-
seilles township and this he has since operated, building up a
profitable and growing business by reason of his industry, his
business discrimination and his excellent organizing abil-
ity. In addition to his manufacturing interests he has also
valuable land holdings in this township and is a prosperous
farmer, his one hundred and sixty acres, located on sections
15 and 16, constituting one of the finest agricultural proper-
ties in this vicinity. He has made substantial improvements
upon it and gives a great deal of time to the cultivation of his
fields, harvesting fine crops of hay, corn, oats and wheat.
Aside from this he is also an extensive stock-raiser, feeding
seventy-five head of pure bred Duroc Jersey hogs, fifty sheep
and about eight horses and selling his animals in the local
markets. He has made this a very remunerative department
of his farm, to the development of which he gives careful and
practical attention, being known as one of the most progres-
sive and able farmers in this locality.

On the 6th of May, 1880, in Upper Sandusky, Mr. Althouse
married Miss Catherine Mahle, a daughter of John and Anna
M. (Meyer) Mahle, residents of Mifflin township. The father
was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, on the 14th of March,
1823, and spent his boyhood days in his native country, com-
ing to America when he was a young man. He settled in Ohio,
where he early made a reputation as a straightforward, hon-
orable and reliable business man, gaining the respect and
esteem of all with whom he came in contact. He married
Anna Mary Meyer in Bucyrus, Ohio, on the 17th of January,
1856, and with her spent over fifty years of a happy wedded
life. She also was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, her birth
having occurred on the 23d of December, 1827, and she came
to America in 1852, settling in Bucyrus and later moving to
Mifflin township where she passed away when she was eighty-
four years of age. She was a devout member of the Bethany
Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs. Althouse became the parents
of four children. Blnora H. married F. W. Ulrich, a farmer in
Salem township, and they have three children, Frieda E.,
Florence M. and Wayne L. Matilda, Allen D. and Harley F.
live at home, the latter being engaged in teaching.

808

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Mr. Althouse is a member of the Presbyterian church and
politically gives his allegiance to the democratic party, having
served for fifteen years as councilman of Marseilles village
and as a member of the school board for five years. He is
widely known throughout this section of the county, where he
has so long resided, and his many sterling qualities of mind
and character command the respect and esteem of the entire
community.

JOSEPH E. WONDER.

Joseph F. Wonder, since 1900 justice of the peace in Carey
and since 1902 health officer, is numbered among the early
residents in the city where for well over a quarter of a cen-
tury his activities have been a force in business and political
advancement. He was born in Flat Rock township, Seneca
county, November 10, 1842, and is a son of Mathias and Cath-
erine (Fowl) Wonder, the former born in Pennsylvania and
the latter in Germany. The father settled in Seneca county
when he was twelve years of age and grew to manhood there,
later engaging in farming, an occupation which he followed
until his death, in 1898. His wife, who came to America
when she was seven years of age, took up her residence in
Seneca county and there resided until her death, which oc-
curred when she was in her eighty-second year. In their
family were the following children: Joseph F., George F.,
Sarah C., Henry, May E., Margaret, Eva R., Jacob, Laura R.
and Louis N.

Joseph F. Wonder acquired his education in the district
schools of Crawford township, Wyandot county, and attended
a select school, fitting himself for teaching, an occupation
which he followed for two terms. Upon the outbreak of the
Civil war he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Forty-
Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after serving four
months was wounded and discharged for disability. During
his term of service he was once taken prisoner and placed
in the famous Libby prison, from which he escaped. After
his discharge Mr. Wonder returned to Ohio and in 1886 turned
his attention to sawmilling, an occupation which he followed
successfully for five years. His public career began in 1882,

JOSEPH F. WONDER

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

311

when he was elected marshal of Carey, a position which he
held two years, after which he was made constable, discharg-
ing his duties efficiently and conscientiously for four years.
He has been since 1900 justice of the peace in Carey and in
1902 added to his duties those of health officer, in both of
which capacities his work is able, conscientious and discrim-
inating. He is connected as a stockholder with the Farmers
Mutual Telephone Company of Carey and owns some val-
uable real estate in the city, including his fine residence.

Mr. Wonder has been twice married. His first union was
with Miss Melinda M. Miller, whom he wedded on the 28th
of October, 1868. She died in 1890, leaving one child, Arthur
E., who passed away when he was twenty-two years of age.
On the 30th of November, 1893, Mr. Wonder married Mrs.
Mary Elizabeth Sommers, a widow with one child, James
Grant Sommers. Mrs. Wonder is a daughter of James Hib-
bins, who had the distinction of being the first male white
child born in Wyandot county.

Mr. Wonder gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party, and fraternally is connected with the Knights of Pyth-
ias and Carey Post, No. 173, G. A. R. He is now in his seventy-
first year but in spirit and interests seems yet in his prime,
and his upright, honorable and well spent life has gained him
the respect and esteem of all who have been in any way
associated with him.

IRA J. MONTROSS.

Ira J. Montross, successfully engaged in general mer-
chandising in Mexico, was born in Seneca county, February
5, 1871, his parents being Charles W. and Mary E. (Raively)
Montross. The father, a native of New York state, was born
February 22, 1848, and was five years of age when he was
brought to Seneca county. There he grew to manhood and
after completing his education followed the trade of a laborer.
He now makes his home in Mexico, Tymochtee township. His
wife is a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1841. They are the
parents of five children, Charles, Ida, Mary, Arthur and Ira J.

Ira J. Montross acquired his education in the district
schools of Tymochtee township, which he attended until he

312

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

was twenty-three years of age, after which he spent one sum-
mer in the Ohio Northern University at Ada. When he had
laid aside his hooks he engaged in farming on shares and his
ability along this line enabled him to continue his labors suc-
cessfully until 1911, when he turned his attention to commer-
cial pursuits, opening a general store at Mexico. His stock
is valued at one thousand dollars and he carries a complete
and well selected line of goods which are tastefully and at-
tractively arranged. In recognition of his straightforward
and reliable business methods Mr. Montross enjoys an exten-
sive and steadily increasing patronage and is already known
as a prosperous and progressive merchant and public-spirited
citizen.

Mr. Montross has been twice married. His first union was
with Miss Ida Rosier, of McCutchenville, whom he wedded
at Upper Sandusky, April 12, 1894. They were the parents
of four children, three of whom died in infancy. The other is
a daughter, Yerna. Mr. Montross’ first wife died in 1906 and
on December 4, 1909, he married Miss Mary Tallman, a daugh-
ter of George W. and Melissa Tallman. To this union has
been born a son, Klahr.

Mr. Montross in his political views is independent of all
lines and parties. In the short time during which he has been
identified with mercantile interests in Mexico he has won a
gratifying measure of success, for he has sought prosperity
through legitimate channels of trade and has based his claims
to recognition upon honorable and upright business methods.

EDWARD 0. GOTTFRIED.

No farmer in Wyandot county has achieved greater suc-
cess in agricultural pursuits than Edward 0. Gottfried, whose
attractive homestead lies in Salem township. A native of
Ohio, he was born in Upper Sandusky, April 29, 1877, a son
of George Adam Gottfried, who left his native country of
Germany in 1847 and came to the United States, settling in
Salem township, Wyandot county. He opened a brickyard
and a tile factory in Upper Sandusky, and his energy, perse-
verance and adherence to high commercial ethics soon made

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

313

him prominent and successful. He retired from active life in
1892 and died in Upper Sandusky in 1904.

Edward 0. Gottfried acquired his education in the public
schools of Upper Sandusky and when he was seventeen years
of age he and his brother Aaron Franklin assumed the man-
agement of the farm which their father owned in Salem town-
ship and conducted it profitably for twelve years. In 1909
Mr. Gottfried of this review purchased a farm and has since
operated this enterprise. He has made substantial improve-
ments upon the property, has built a good house, barns and
outbuildings, and a great deal of his time is occupied with the
work of further development. In all of his business affairs he
is determined and energetic, brooking no obstacles that can
be overcome by persistent and honorable effort. As a result
success has rewarded his labors and he stands today in the
front ranks of progressive agriculturists.

In 1909 Mr. Gottfried was united in marriage to Miss
Edna May Ulrich, a daughter of Michael Ulrich, and they have
one son, Hale Edward, born February 8, 1911. The parents
are devout members of the German Lutheran church and are
interested in its work and in all that pertains to the welfare of
the community. Their good qualities of mind and character
have gained for them the friendship of many and the high
regard of all who know them while the business record of
Mr. Gottfried commends him to the confidence of his associ-
ates for he is at all times reliable and straightforward.

LAWRENCE J. MOORE.

Lawrence J. Moore, engaged in the auctioneering business
in Wyandot county, his home being in Upper Sandusky, was
born in Belmont county, Ohio, on the 21st of June, 1872. His
father, James Moore, was also born in the neighborhood
where his son’s birth occurred, his natal year being 1824. His
wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary J. Marlow, was bom
in Richland county, Ohio, in 1837. She remained a widow
for a number of years after the death of her first husband and
in 1904 became the wife of Solomon Berry, a widowTer, who
was a pioneer settler of Wyandot county, but who died in the
same year. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Moore were two

314

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

sons and a daughter: Clarence J., the eldest, now a farmer of
Washington county, Pennsylvania, married Gertrude God-
frey and has four children. Kate B., the sister, became the
wife of Robert P. Cooper, a mechanic living at Martins Ferry,
Ohio. They have seven children: May, Clarice, Bessie, Selda,
James, Beulah and Letha.

Lawrence J. Moore is the youngest of his father’s family
and upon the home farm he spent the days of his boyhood,
youth and early manhood. He attended the public schools of
Belmont county and supplemented his studies there by a
course in Frazier’s Business College at Wheeling, West Vir-
ginia. He afterward devoted twelve years to farm work upon
the old homestead and on the expiration of that period came
to Upper Sandusky, where he entered the auctioneering busi-
ness. In this field of labor he has been very successful, being
called upon to cry sales in various parts of the county. He is
ready, resourceful, apt and tactful and is able to secure good
prices for the seller and satisfy the buyer. He also engages in
buying and feeding cattle on his own account and in addition
is manager of his mother’s farm in Crane township.

Mr. Moore gives his political allegiance to the democratic
party but has never sought nor desired political honors and
emoluments. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective
Order of Elks and also belongs to the Methodist church — asso-
ciations which indicate much of the nature of his interests and
the rules which govern his conduct.

ELIAS G. LAUGHLIN.

No history of Carey will be complete without mention of
Elias G. Laughlin, who for seventeen years was an active fac-
tor in the business life of the city and who for a still longer
period has been one of the most prominent and influential
figures in public affairs. He is now mayor of the city, in his
second term of service, and has done work of a constructive
character destined to take an important place in local politi-
cal history. He was born in New York state, September 15,
1854, and is a son of John and Mary W. (Hill) Laughlin, the
former a native of Ireland, born in 1810, and the latter of
Middlesex, New York, born in 1818. The father crossed the

E. G. LAUGH LI X

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

317

Atlantic at the age of eighteen and settled in New York state
at Hammondsport, making that city his headquarters during
the time that he followed the occupation of a steamboat cap-
tain. He died in 1857 and was survived by his wife until
1889. In their family were twelve children, five of whom died
in infancy. The others are Ambrose, John M., James H.,
Nancy E., Francis H., Emily J. and Elias Gr.

Elias Gr. Laughlin was educated in the public schools of
Carey and laid aside his books at the age of sixteen, after
which he spent two years upon the farm. At the end of that
time he learned the blacksmith’s trade and for eighteen years
thereafter worked at this occupation, becoming skilful and
proficient in it and building up a profitable patronage. He
was afterward clerk in a hardware store for three years and
then for fourteen years partner in a large hardware concern
in Carey. His well directed activities brought him success
and a comfortable competence, which enabled him to retire
from active business life in 1907. He now devotes a great
deal of time to the management and supervision of his real-
estate interests, which are extensive and valuable, for he
owns three fine residences in Carey and a one hundred and
sixty acre farm in Big Springs township.

It is not alone along business lines, however, that Mr.
Laughlin is well known in this city, for since 1889, when he
was first elected mayor, he has been a force in politics, his
name standing always for reform and progress. He was for
fifteen years clerk of the board of education, and in 1912
was again elected mayor of the city. He has made an ex-
cellent executive, giving to the people a businesslike admin-
istration, characterized by progress and advancement and
marked by the inauguration of many needed reforms and im-
provements.

Mr. Laughlin has been three times married. In 1890 he
wedded Miss Emma Bartlett, by whom he had one child,
Loraine, mother and daughter dying in 1900. One year after-
ward Mr. Laughlin wedded Miss Alice Bixby, who passed
away in 1906, leaving two children, Mary Alice, and Lucy L.,
a third daughter, Martha, having died in infancy. Mr. Laugh-
lin’s third wife was Miss Ella J. Deardorff, whom he wedded
August 18, 1910, at Detroit, Michigan.

Mr. Laughlin is fraternally connected with the Masonic
order, in which he belongs to the Knights Templar, and the

318

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A resident of Carey
during practically all of his active life, he has thoroughly
identified his interests with those of the city and by con-
stantly supporting progressive public measures has done a
great deal of work in promoting development. His salient
characteristics are such as have gained for him the friendly
regard and good-will of all with whom he has been asso-
ciated through either business or official relations and he is
well entitled to a foremost place among the representative
and respected residents of Carey.

EDWARD SWERLEIN.

Edward Swerlein, who owns ninety-two acres of land in
Tymochtee township and who operates in addition the two
hundred adjoining acres which he rents, is numbered among
the progressive and representative agriculturists of this sec-
tion. He is one of Wyandot county’s native sons and was born
in the village of Tymochtee, June 5, 1853, his parents being
John and Theresa (Clitch) Swerlein, natives of Germany. The
father was born in 1818 and when he was sixteen years of age
came to America. He settled in Tiffin, Ohio, and there fol-
lowed the shoemaking trade for some time. He later became
identified with agricultural pursuits and won a position of dis-
tinction and prominence in farming circles before his death,
which occurred in 1893. The mother was born in Germany,
April 25, 1823, and was seven years of age when she came to
Tiffin, Ohio, She survives her husband and makes her home
with the subject of this review. To Mr. and Mrs. John Swer-
lein were born ten children, Joseph H., John A., William R.,
Mary A., Helena, Edward, Harmon, Mary, Loretta and Law-
rence.

In the acquirement of an education Edward Swerlein at-
tended district school in Tymochtee township and high school
in Carey, laying aside his books at the age of twenty-
one. For one year thereafter he worked upon his father’s
farm and then rented one hundred and thirty acres of land,
upon which he continued to reside until 1890. In that year he
bought thirty acres in the same locality but this property he
sold in 1909 and bought his present farm, upon which he has

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY 319

since resided. The property is equipped with all the conven-
iences and accessories of a model farm and in his agricultural
pursuits Mr. Swerlein is meeting with a well earned and
creditable measure of prosperity. In addition to the ninety-
two acres which he owns he rents the adjoining two hundred
acres, upon which he pastures his fine herds of thirty cattle,
one hundred sheep and ten horses. His stock-raising forms
one of the most valuable of his interests, for in addition to the
animals which he breeds he buys every year two carloads of
lambs and, after feeding and fattening them for a season,
sells them in the local markets.

At McCutchenville, on the 18th of May, 1881, Mr. Swerlein
wedded Miss Edith A. Roberts, a daughter of John A. and
Wilhelmina (Schmidt) Roberts, of that city. Mr. and Mrs.
Swerlein are the parents of thirteen children: John A.;
Minnie, who married William Davidson, a farmer in Tynxoch-
tee township, by whom she has three children, Edith H., Roy
G. and Florence P.; Edward E., a farmer in Sycamore town-
ship, who married Ada Gibson; Homer S.; Jay M.; Ethel T.,
who married Fayette Cross, a farmer in Sycamore township,
by whom she has one child, Irene Wanda; Robert G.; Mari-
etta; Otto L.; Florence A.; Edith G.; Emma V.; and Laura I.

Mr. Swerlein gives his allegiance to the democratic party
and, while he confines himself closely to business, he has yet
found time to interest himself in affairs of citizenship, having
served as township clerk for four years, as assessor for a simi-
lar period of time and as land appraiser from 1890 to 1900. In
addition he was justice of the peace for four years and a mem-
ber of the school board for twenty-seven, having been presi-
dent of that body for the last sixteen years of his service. He
aids in keeping his township and county apace with the march
of general advancement and has put forth effective work in
the promotion of the public and agricultural development.

FRANK M. FOX.

The name of Fox is wrell known in Wyandot county, for
three generations of the family have cultivated the soil in this
section and the present representative, Frank M. Fox, is one
of the most prominent and successful farmers of Mifflin town-

320

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ship. He owns a fine property on section 10, upon which he
has resided since 1888, and in his agricultural operations is
meeting with that success which always follows earnest, per-
sistent and well directed energy. The family is of German ori-
gin, the father and grandfather of the subject of this review
having been natives of Wittenberg, and it was founded in
America by John Fox, grandfather of our subject, who came
with his family and settled in Richland county in pioneer
times. He took up a claim of wild land, covered with a dense
growth of timber, which he cleared, and upon this property he
resided until his death. His son Augustus G. Fox, who was
six years of age when his parents came to America, grew up
upon the homestead and when he reached maturity followed
farming. He married Miss Louisa Dome, a daughter of Sam-
uel Dome, who came to Ohio in pioneer times. After his
marriage Augustus G. Fox bought land in Mifflin township
and there developed a fine farm, upon which he resided until
his death, September 5, 1894, when he was sixty-eight years
of age. He had survived his wife one year, her death having
occurred May 21, 1893. To their union were born five chil-
dren, Lorinda, George W., Daniel H., Mary and Frank M.

The last named was born on his father’s farm on the 26th
of October, 1859, and acquired his education in the district
schools. After laying aside his books he worked upon the
homestead for some time but in 1888 purchased the property
which he still owns. In the intervening quarter of a century
he has steadily carried forward the work of improvement and
development, operating his farm along modern and progres-
sive lines and being now the owner of one of the best im-
proved agricultural properties in Mifflin township. In addi-
tion Mr. Fox is well known in business circles of Upper San-
dusky. He was one of the organizers of the Citizens Savings
Bank of this city in 1907 and has been a stockholder and
director since its organization. He has also been a director of
the Wyandot Mutual Insurance Company, nine years, of
which he was treasurer for seven years, and is connected with
the Farmers Institute, of which he was president for two
years. He served for nine years on the fair board.

In 1884 Mr. Fox married Miss Julia V. Kail, a daughter of
Andrew J. and Sarah Kail, of Wyandot county, Ohio. They
have six children: Bertha V., who married Edwin R. Leslie;

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

321

Jackson A., who wedded Inez Justice; Ida M.; Zula B.; Wal-
ter E.; and Florence L.

Mr. Fox is a leader in church circles of this community
and has been active in the Methodist church, serving as super-
intendent and a teacher in the Sunday school for many years.
In public life he has been clerk of the township for three terms
and was for two terms township treasurer, elected on the
democratic ticket. He has won a gratifying degree of ma-
terial success and a high place in the respect and esteem of all
who know him, and he deserves great credit for what he has
accomplished, for all that he today possesses has been ac-
quired through his own careful management and well directed
labors.

GEORGE W. COON.

George W. Coon, now living retired in Upper Sandusky,
was for fifty years closely associated with agricultural inter-
ests of Wyandot county. His spirit of perseverance enabled
him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he
undertook and therefore he developed a good farm in Antrim
township from which he annually derived a substantial in-
come as the result of his industry and determination. He
was born in that section of Wyandot county, May 21, 1846,
and is a son of Jacob and Susan (Harmon) Coon, the former
born in 1809 and the latter in Maryland in 1810. The father
came to Ohio when he was nineteen years of age and followed
farming in Wyandot county until his death. His wife passed
away in 1871.

George W. Coon attended the district schools of Antrim
township, pursuing his studies until he was ninteen years of
age. Throughout the period of his boyhood and youth he
assisted in the work of the fields and after attaining his
majority farmed on shares for five years. At the end of that
time he purchased eighty acres of land and after nine years
bought, with his sister, part of the old homestead which he
improved and developed along modern lines until his retire-
ment in 1910. In that year he moved to Upper Sandusky
and has since made his home in this city, where he is uniformly
regarded with the highest respect and esteem. He is a stock-

322

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

holder in the Morrel Elevator Company and the Toledo Life
Insurance Company.

On the 18th of January, 1872, Mr. Coon was united in
marriage in Antrim township to Miss Mary Alice Brown, a
daughter of Abraham and Jane (Eckelberry) Brown, the
former a prosperous farmer and an early settler in Wyandot
county. Mr. and Mrs. Coon had five children: Charles E.,
who lives with his father; Susanna, who resides at home;
Bertha A., who married Charles Weist, a farmer of Pitt
township, by whom she has two children, Laura and May A. ;
Inez E., who is teaching school in Memphis, Texas; and Sarah
E., who is employed as a stenographer in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mrs. Coon passed away August 28, 1889, and is buried in
Grand Prairie cemetery in Morrow county, Ohio.

Mr. Coon belongs to the Free Baptist church and gives his
political allegiance to the republican party. Antrim town-
ship numbers him among her valued residents and the fact
that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known
him from boyhood is an indication that his life has been at all
times honorable and upright, worthy of the high esteem in
which he is uniformly held.

ROBERT CARL VAN BUREN, M. D.

Dr. Robert Carl VanBuren, engaged in the practice of med-
icine and surgery in Carey, is a native son of Ohio, born in
Hancock county, September 15, 1876. He is a son of Martin
and Maria M. (Alter) VanBuren, the former a native of Hew
York and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father was born
in Albany in 1836 and after he had attained manhood farmed
in the Empire state until 1857, when he came to Ohio, set-
tling three miles from Carey. Here he carried on general
agricultural pursuits for some time, afterward removing to
the vicinity of Forest, where he resided until his death, which
occurred in 1909. For a short time he lived in Hancock
county, four miles north of the city of Findlay, and here the
subject of this review was born. The mother still resides
upon the farm near Forest.

Dr. Robert C. VanBuren was six years of age when his
parents moved to Forest and his early education was acquired

DR. R. C. VAN BUREN

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

325

in the public schools of the village. This was supplemented
by a course in Ada University, which he attended for two
terms, afterward entering the Eclectic Medical College at
Cincinnati. After four years he was graduated from this in-
stitution in 1901, with the degree of M. D. In May of the
same year he opened an office in Carey, where he has since
remained. He is deeply interested in his profession, of which
he is a thorough and discriminating student and a skilled
practitioner. That he has attained proficiency and that he
has the confidence of the general public is indicated by the
large patronage which is accorded him and which has given
him rank among the successful members of the medical fra-
ternity in Wyandot county.

In 1901 Dr. VanBuren was united in marriage to Miss
Emma M. Cook, a daughter of Harlow Cook, a prominent
resident of Hardin comity, Ohio. They have two children,
Harlow Kent and Stella Louise. Dr. VanBuren gives loyal
support to the republican party but has never sought public
office, preferring to give undivided attention to his profes-
sional duties, which he discharges with a sense of conscien-
tious obligation and with a thorough understanding of the
many responsibilities which devolve upon him.

BURKE W. MARTIN.

Burke W. Martin, prominently connected with mercantile
interests of Little Sandusky as a successful general merchant,
is a native son of the city, born December 25, 1849, his par-
ents being Caleb S. and Elizabeth (Coons) Martin. The
father was born in Maryland in 1819 and from an early age
followed the shoemaker’s trade. He came to Ohio when he
was about fifteen years of age and resided in this state until
his death, which occurred in 1906. The mother was born in
New York state in 1837 and died in Ohio in 1909. They were
the parents of five children: Minerva, who died in infancy;
Burke W., of this review; Mary P. ; Alice L. ; and Charles R.,
who met death by accident at the age of seventeen.

Burke W. Martin acquired his education in the country
schools of his native locality, attending until he was eighteen
years of age. He worked upon a farm until 1870, after which

Vol. 11—17

326

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, establishing
himself as a grocer in Little Sandusky. After one year he
added a general merchandise stock and has made both
branches of his enterprise extremely profitable. The business
has increased steadily and Mr. Martin now carries a five thou-
sand dollar stock and enjoys an extensive and representative
patronage which has come to him in recognition of his
straightforward business methods and his well selected line
of goods. He owns besides his business property in Little
Sandusky, eighty acres of land in Antrim township and
several town lots.

On the 4th of October, 1871, Mr. Martin was united in
marriage to Miss Iva E. Hughes, a daughter of Barnett and
Catherine (Woodcock) Hughes, the latter of whom passed
away in 1908. To Mr. and Mrs. Martin were born five chil-
dren: Luella M., who married William J. Burnsides, a

farmer of Little Sandusky, by whom she has one child, Mabel
M. ; Alice B., who married Frank Barber, a farmer of Antrim
township, by whom she has four children, George W., Ross,
Francis C. and Barnett W.; Charles S., who died at the age
of twenty-one ; Sidney W., who is engaged in the automobile
business at Upper Sandusky; and Barnett H., at home.

Mr. Martin is a democrat in his political beliefs and has
served as a member of the local school board for over twenty
years. He has met with prosperity as a citizen and as a busi-
ness man, his career proving conclusively that success is not
a matter of chance, but is the outcome of clear judgment,
experience and close application.

JACOB P. BEAR.

Jacob P. Bear has many claims to the respect and esteem
of his fellow citizens, for his upright and honorable life has
at all times been high in its standards and purposes and bene-
ficial in its results. He has been a resident of Ohio since he
was twenty-two years of age, enlisting from this state for
service in the Civil war and having since 1870 resided contin-
uously upon the farm in Mifflin township which he now owns
and operates. Pennsylvania numbers him among her native
sons, his birth having occurred in Franklin county, that state,

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

327

January 26, 1839, his parents being Jacob and Elizabeth
(Mooney) Bear. The father was born in Pennsylvania on
the 17th of February, 1807, and after he grew to manhood
followed the shoemaker’s trade and also engaged in farming
until his death, September 28, 1850. The mother, whose birth
occurred in Maryland in 1809, died on the 11th of April, 1888.
In their family were the following children: Mary A. E.,

Susanna, Joshua, Anna R., Jeremiah, Jacob P., Sarah A.,
Jonathan and Amanda.

The public schools of Pennsylvania afforded Jacob P. Bear
his educational opportunities and he attended until he was
eighteen years of age, after which he served a two years’
apprenticeship to the carpenter’s trade. He was in Ohio at
the outbreak of the Civil war and from this state enlisted in
Company A, One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, serving for two years and ten months, and rising
from the rank of private to that of orderly sergeant and as
such receiving his honorable discharge on the 12th of June,
1865, at Camp Chase, Ohio. Following the war he followed
the carpenter’s trade for a time and then turned his attention
to farming. In 1872 he purchased a farm in Mifflin township
and on this property he has now resided for forty-three years,
each year bringing him increased success. His first purchase
consisted of sixty-three acres of land but to this he has added
from time to time as his financial resources justified and he
now owns one hundred and forty-three acres, lying on section
30. He gives a great deal of time to the cultivation of the
fields, raising fine crops of corn, hay, oats and wheat, and he
is besides extensively interested in stock-raising, keeping ten
head of cattle, eight horses, fifty sheep and about the same
number of hogs. His animals are all high grade and command
a high price and a ready sale on the local markets.

On the 1st of February, 1866, in Chambersburg, Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. Bear was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J.
Height, a daughter of Henry and Julia (Beaver) Height of
that city. Mr. and Mrs. Bear became the parents of six chil-
dren. Alice became the wife of George Dean, a carpenter at
Findlay, Ohio. They have one daughter, Ruth. John W. is
engaged in farming in Marseilles township. He married Mary
E. Fox and they have two children, Lester J. and Wildie H.
and also have an adopted daughter, Tempa Kenton. Edward

328

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

is connected with a mill in Fostoria, Ohio. His wife
was in her maidenhood Mary Burkhardt. George is an oil
pumper at Findlay. He married Julia Parsel and they are
the parents of four children, Ralph E., Russell, Ira, and Sarah
C. Laura married Jackson Young, a carpenter at Fostoria,
and they have two children, Leota S. and Paul L. Emory is
residing on the home farm on section 30, Mifflin township. He
married Daisy La Rue and has three children, Ruth, Luella M.
and Floyd R. Mr. and Mrs. Bear have also an adopted son,
a nephew of Mrs. Bear, Henry Witbeck, who lost his mother
when he was still a child.

A stanch republican, Mr. Bear is interested in the growth
and progress of the community where he has long resided and
has rendered the township excellent service as a trustee and
a member of the school board. He is a devout member of the
Methodist church of which he is now an elder and he was a
teacher in the Sunday school for many years. A man of
genuine personal worth and high standards of integrity he
commands the sincere regard and esteem of all who come in
contact with him and in the course of his many years residence
in Wyandot county has proved his loyalty in citizenship, his
reliability in business and his fidelity and to all the ties and
obligations of life.

CHARLES F. STECK.

Charles F. Steck, who since 1883 has been a resident of
America, has throughout the entire period resided in Wyandot
county, where he is now engaged in farming on section 15,
Salem township. He was born on the 21st of February, 1858,
in the city of Calw, Wurtemberg, Germany, his parents being
Gottlieb and Frederika Steck, who were also natives of Calw.
In the schools of that city Charles F. Steck pursued his edu-
cation until he was graduated on the 15th of May, 1874, hav-
ing completed courses in German, Latin and French. He then
turned his attention to farming, becoming acquainted with
that pursuit while employed on a private farm of King Carl
of Wurtemberg. He thus worked until 1879, when he was
drafted for military service, doing duty with the Queen Olga
Ieibgarde Dragoon Regiment as drillmaster and sergeant from

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

329

1879 until honorably discharged in November, 1882. The
following year he determined to seek a home and fortune in
the new world, arriving in America on the 20th of March,
1883. He made his way at once to Wyandot county, Ohio,
and for seven years was employed on the farm of M. D. M.
Carey, near Crawford.

On the 18th of March, 1888, Mr. Steck was united in mar-
riage to Miss Carolina Ross, of Upper Sandusky, a daughter
of Adam Ross. Their children are: Carl F., Allen H.,

Homer C., Alice E., Anna M., Leonard E. and Elmer. Since
1886 Mr. Steck has been a member of Carey Lodge, No. 407,
I. O. O. E. He has also taken the degrees of the blue lodge in
Masonry and became a Royal Arch Mason in 1911. His polit-
ical views are indicated in the fact that he identified himself
with the “bull moose” party in 1912, advocating the progres-
sive policy followed by Roosevelt and other leaders. His
religious faith is that of the German Lutheran church. After
residing for more than a quarter of a century in the United
States Mr. Steck returned to Germany on a visit in July,
1909. He renewed acquaintance with friends of his early life,
visited the scenes of his boyhood and afterward traveled in
Germany, France, Switzerland and Holland, again coming to
America on the 5th of October, 1909. He has never had any
occasion to regret his determination to make his home in the
new world, for here he found the business opportunities wThich
he sought, and in their improvement he has worked his way
upward, being now a substantial farmer of Wyandot county.
He has worked diligently and persistently as the years have
passed and his energy and determination have brought him a
gratifying measure of prosperity.

DANIEL SCHLICHER.

A city does not depend so much upon its machinery of gov-
ernment or even upon the men who control its public offices as
upon those who are active in establishing and promoting its
business affairs. Commercial activity is the basis of progress
and improvement at the present day and in business circles
in Upper Sandusky, Daniel Schlicher is well known as pro-
prietor of a soda water factory, to which enterprise he turned

330

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

his attention in 1904. He was born in Marietta, Ohio, Janu-
ary 8, 1864, a son of Theodore and Eva (Smith) Schlicher,
both of whom were natives of Germany. The father came to
Ohio when a young man of nineteen years and the mother ar-
rived in this state when a little maiden of nine summers. He
died in 1912 but Mrs. Schlicher is still living, making her home
in Marietta at the age of seventy-two. They had a family of
six children: George, Daniel, David, Edward, Flora and
Emma.

Between the ages of six and fourteen years Daniel
Schlicher was a pupil in the public schools of his native city,
but when a boy in his early teens he felt it necessary to pro-
vide for his own support and secured employment in a chair
factory, where he remained for four years. He then began
learning the moulder’s trade, which he followed for seven
years, on the expiration of which period he went to Califor-
nia, remaining for five years on the Pacific coast. He then
returned to Marietta, where he engaged in the saloon busi-
ness for seven years, after which he came to Upper Sandusky
in 1904 and began the manufacture of soda water, which has
proven a profitable venture. He admitted Patrick Doyle to a
partnership and they have established a business which is
growing year by year. They hold to high standards in the
excellence of their product and are therefore liberally patron-
nized, while their fair dealing and reasonable prices are also
an element in their success.

Mr. Schlicher votes with the democratic party, to which
he has given his allegiance since age conferred upon him the
right of franchise. He is connected with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and the Improved Order of Red Men
and he belongs to the German Lutheran church — in which
associations are indicated the principles that govern his life.

SAMUEL PHILLIPS.

Samuel Phillips, who in 1909 retired from business life
following many years of active identification with the black-
smith’s trade in Marseilles, was born in Marion county, Ohio,
June 18, 1834. He is a son of Jacob Phillips, a native
of Massachusetts and a shoemaker by trade, who at one

MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL PHILLIPS

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

333

period settled in Marion county, whence he went to Michigan.
He was twice married and by his first wife had two children,
William and Edna. After her death he wedded Miss Com-
fort Martin, a native of Ohio, and to their union were born
the following children: Samuel, of this review; and David,
John and Jacob. The father passed away in 1838 and the
mother, who was born in Ohio in 1810, died in 1870.

Samuel Phillips acquired his education in the public
schools of Michigan and he pursued his studies until he was
eighteen years of age, when he returned to Ohio, settling in
Marseilles, where he worked as an apprentice to the black-
smith’s trade, receiving for his services ten cents a day for
three years and managing to save sixteen dollars out of his
wages. In 1854 he purchased a half interest in the shop con-
ducted by his employer, J ames R. Eaton, with whom he con-
tinued in partnership for twenty-one years, gaining a reputa-
tion during that time for expert work and honorable business
dealings. Eventually he purchased Mr. Eaton’s share of the
business and continued to conduct the enterprise alone, build-
ing up during that time an extensive and lucrative trade and
accumulating a fortune sufficient to enable him to lay aside the
cares of active business life. Since 1909 he has been living
retired in his comfortable home in Marseilles and is enjoying
the leisure and rest which has rewarded many years of earnest,
persistent and well directed labor.

Mr. Phillips married, in Upper Sandusky, in 1857, Miss
Mary A. Ellis, a daughter of Richard and Mary P. (Slover)
Ellis. The father went to California in 1849 and spent some
time in the gold fields of that state, later returning to Ohio,
where he followed farming. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips became
the parents of ten children. John was a prominent real-estate
dealer in New York city, where he also engaged as an im-
porter of drygoods. He died in 1912, at his father’s home
in Marseilles, Ohio. Eva 0. married J. L. Hastings, a farmer
in Marion county, and they became the parents of seven
children, Maud, Augusta, Spear, Fay, Carrie, Frank and
Eloise. James E. is a merchant in Marion, Ohio. He mar-
ried Carrie Fulton, and they became the parents of two chil-
dren, Isabella and James Fulton, who died in infancy.
Charles N. is cashier of the Marion National Bank at Marion.
Jennie died when she was fourteen years of age. Frank is

334

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

a member of the firm of Uhler & Phillips, drygoods mer-
chants at Marion, Ohio. He married Miss Alta Craig and
has one son, Robert. Anna became the wife of L. C. Wogan,
a real-estate dealer in Marion. The other children born to
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Mary, Harlan and Slover, died in
infancy. Mrs. Phillips passed away on October 6, 1905, and
was buried in the cemetery at Marion, Ohio. She was highly
esteemed by all who knew her and her demise occasioned not
only deep sorrow to her family but a wide circle of devoted
friends. She was charitable and kindly and a good wife and
mother, being an example of what a true woman should be.

Mr. Phillips was a resident of Ohio at the time of the Civil
war and he enlisted for one hundred days’ service as a mem-
ber of Company G, One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, but on account of sickness was debarred
from active service. He is a member of the Methodist church
and active in religious work, having served for thirty-eight
years as secretary of the Methodist Sunday school. Politi-
cally he is a republican, believing firmly in the policies set
forth in the principles of the party, and he is always a loyal
supporter of its candidates. Locally he is interested in the
betterment of the community where he has resided for over
a half century, and for a number of years rendered the town-
ship able service as a member of the council and as a member
of the school board. He is a man of many sterling traits of
character, reliable in business and progressive in citizenship
and during the course of a long, active and honorable life has
gained the confidence, good-will and esteem of all who have
been in any way associated with him.

i

E. A. SLEMMER,

Among the younger and successful business men of Upper
Sandusky is E. A. Slemmer, who for a number of years has
conducted a first-class restaurant in this city which enjoys a
reputation that places it in a class by itself. Born in Salem
township, this county, on August 15, 1872, E. A. Slemmer is
a son of Henry and Catherine (Coppler) Slemmer, natives

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

335

of Germany, the former born in 1822 and the latter in 1839.
The father came to America when about seventeen years of
age and all his life followed the occupation of tailoring. He
died on March 24, 1884, his wife surviving until April 2, 1911.
In their family were the following children: Charles L. ;

Henry; William H. ; E. A., of this review; George W., who
was a member of the Second Regiment, Ohio National Guard,
and served in the war with Spain as a corporal ; and Elizabeth.

E. A. Slemmer attended the district schools of Salem
township in the acquirement of his education until sixteen
years of age, when he engaged in farm labor for one year.
He then turned his attention to clerking and remained in that
capacity and as bartender until 1900, when he and his brother
Charles opened a buffet in Upper Sandusky, which they con-
tinued in partnership until 1906, at which time our subject
acquired the interest of his brother in the business. Later,
howrever, Mr. Slemmer turned his attention to the restaurant
business and opened a first-class establishment of that kind,
which has gained in reputation as the years have passed.
Careful attention is paid to the wishes of his patrons and his
meals are not only prepared in the cleanest and best fashion
but are substantial and varied, giving a great selection to his
customers. He is the only one in Upper Sandusky who serves
special game dinners during the season, which have become
famous and have brought many new patrons to his place. His
patronage is not only extensive but representative and com-
prises the best class of residents, his trade being largely re-
cruited from out of town, besides enjoying a steady custom of
regular dinner guests. Much of the success of the establish-
ment must be ascribed to the genial and pleasant manner of
its proprietor, who tries in every possible way to please his
patrons and gives vent to his appreciation by faultless service.
As the years have passed Mr. Slemmer has become prosperous
and he now owns two valuable residences in Upper Sandusky
which he rents.

On April 7, 1903, he was married at Upper Sandusky to
Miss Cora Taylor, a daughter of Hark and Mary (Gilliland)
Taylor, the former a native of Salem township and the latter
of Iowa. The father engages in farming in Salem township
and is one of its prosperous residents. Mr. and Mrs. Slemmer
have two daughters, Dorothy May and Marjory E., and one
son, Robert H.

336

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Politically Mr. Slemmer gives his support to the demo-
cratic party and fraternally affiliates with the Red Men. His
faith is that of the German Lutheran church. Public-spirited
and progressive, Mr. Slemmer takes deep interest in all mat-
ters that affect the public welfare of Upper Sandusky and
Wyandot county and can always be found in the ranks of
those men who seek promotion and advancement. Able and
active, it has taken him not long to attain a substantial posi-
tion and as his success has been won on his own merits, he is
highly esteemed and regarded for what he has attained.

GEORGE W. ZEITER.

George W. Zeiter, a highly respected citizen and success-
ful business man of Wyandot county, has for the past decade
been engaged in the sale of agricultural implements and farm
machinery at Upper Sandusky. His birth occurred at New
Washington, Crawford county, Ohio, on the 18th of August,
1856, his parents being George and Katherine (Rapp) Zeiter,
the former a native of Germany and the latter of Pennsyl-
vania. George Zeiter, who became a resident of Crawford
county, Ohio, when still but a boy, worked at the carpenter’s
trade throughout his active business career and passed away
in 1863. His widow makes her home in Eden township, Wy-
andot county, and is now seventy-six years of age, her natal
day being February 1, 1837. They had four children, namely:
George W., Frank, Sophia and Mary. Our subject is the
only surviving member of the family, the others passing
away in early life.

In the acquirement of an education George W. Zeiter
attended the common schools until twenty-one years of age
and subsequently worked as a farm hand by the month for
nine years. During the following six years he operated a
rented farm in Tymochtee township and on the expiration
of that period took up his abode in Sycamore, Ohio, where he
worked in an implement store for eight years. In 1903 he
came to Upper Sandusky and embarked in business as an
implement dealer on his own account, having since built up
a gratifying patronage in this connection. His stock of farm
machinery and agricultural implements is valued at more

G. W. ZEITER

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

339

than three thousand dollars. He is likewise a stockholder
in the Buckeye Foundry & Manufacturing Company, and also
in the Commercial National Bank.

On the 15th of February, 1883, at Upper Sandusky, Mr.
Zeiter was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Ekleberry,
a daughter of Levi and Barbara (Hufford) Ekleberry, of
Tymochtee township, where the former was active for a
number of years as a farmer and veterinary surgeon.

Politically Mr. Zeiter is an independent democrat, while
fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias of
Sycamore and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at
Upper Sandusky. He also belongs to the Chamber of Com-
merce. Though not a member, he attends the services of the
Methodist church and lives a consistent Christian life. Both
he and his wife are widely and favorably known throughout
the community, having won the unqualified confidence and
regard of all with whom they have come in contact through-
out the period of their residence here.

AARON FRANKLIN GOTTFRIED.

Aaron Franklin Gottfried, who since the beginning of his
active career has been prominent as a farmer and stock-raiser
in Wyandot county, was born in Upper Sandusky, November
20, 1871. He is a son of George Adam and Caroline Amelia
(Purkey) Gottfried, the former born in Germany, July 21,
1827, and the latter in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in 1841.
The father was a brick and tile maker and followed this occu-
pation in his native country and after he came to Wyandot
county. Many of the buildings in this part of Ohio are con-
structed of his hand-made bricks and tile, for he was in busi-
ness in Upper Sandusky for thirty-seven years and was one
of the pioneers in his line of work in the city. He died July
23, 1904, and is survived by his wife, who makes her home in
Upper Sandusky. They became the parents of six children.
The eldest, William, is a well driller in Lima, Ohio. He mar-
ried Maggie Seigler and has five children. Ella became the
wife of J. Widman, a clothing merchant in Upper Sandusky.
Aaron Franklin is the subject of this review. Harry makes
his home in Upper Sandusky. Edward O. is engaged in farm-

340

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

ing in Salem township. He married Edna Ulrich and has one
son, Dale Edward. Harriett R. married Ralph Ingard, a
western rancher, who died in 1912, in Payette, Idaho. She is
the youngest child in this family.

Aaron E. Gottfried acquired his education in the public
schools of Upper Sandusky and in college at Ada, pursuing
his studies until his fifteenth year, after which he aided with
the work of the homestead until he was nineteen years of age.
He then became a clerk in a grocery and clothing store and
after attaining his majority farmed on shares until 1904, when
he purchased ninety acres of land in Salem township and
turned his attention to independent agricultural pursuits. He
carried on general farming and stock-raising upon this prop-
erty until 1906, when he sold his first farm and bought one
hundred and one acres in Crane township, on section 10. This
farm, which he has recently sold, he has made one of the finest
agricultural properties in Wyandot county, well developed
along modern lines and equipped with all the accessories and
conveniences necessary to its conduct. Mr. Gottfried raises
hay, corn and oats and in addition is an extensive stock-raiser,
breeding Scotch and Scotch topped Shorthorn cattle of pure
bred stock. He has eight head of these animals at the present
time and expects to increase his herd in the future. He also
raises fifty hogs every year. He is, moreover, a fancier of
Plymouth Rock chickens, of which he raises annually about
two hundred and fifty for the market. He sells many settings
for hatching purposes and his poultry-raising has always been
an important source of his income. He has since purchased a
farm of eighty acres and now occupies the same. It is located
two miles west of Upper Sandusky and owing to its pleasant
location he has named it “ Sunny View Farm.”

Mr. Gottfried married, September 5, 1906, in Delaware
township, Hancock county, Ohio, Miss Clara Elizabeth Wilch,
a daugher of John A. and Mary (Kroske) Wilch, of Hancock
county, Ohio, the father being a prominent farmer and stock-
breeder of that region. Mr. and Mrs. Gottfried became the
parents of two children, Norma Harriett and Ruth Leverna.
The family are members of St. Paul’s Lutheran church.

Mr. Gottfried belongs to Champion Grange of Wyandot
county and was for two years president of the Upper San-
dusky Farmers Institute and vice president for a similar
period. He gives stanch allegiance to the democratic party

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

341

and takes an active interest in public affairs, ably filling public
office when called upon to do so. In 1907 he was assessor of
the first ward and was a delegate to two state conventions, one
senatorial, one judicial and one congressional convention.
He is one of the most substantial farmers of the vicinity, well
known throughout his township for his diligence and enter-
prise, and he deserves great credit for his present prosperity,
which is entirely due to his own efforts.

ANTHONY YOGEL.

Anthony Vogel, a well known, enterprising and successful
merchant of Upper Sandusky, has built up an extensive trade
as a dealer in shoes and has long been numbered among the
substantial and representative citizens of his native county.
His birth occurred at Upper Sandusky on the 20th of June,
1862, his parents being Frank Joseph and Susanna (Fleck)
Vogel, both of whom were natives of Germany, the former
born on the 28th of June, 1827, and the latter on the 7th of
January, 1832. When a young man of twenty-five Frank J.
Vogel emigrated to the United States, coming to Ohio and
establishing his home at Upper Sandusky, where he spent
the remainder of his life at the tailor’s trade. The house
which he built in 1861 and in which his children were reared
is still the home of our subject. His demise, which occurred
on the 30th of October, 1883, was the occasion of deep and
widespread regret for he had won many friends during the
long period of his residence here. His wife came to the United
States at the age of twenty-one and spent the remainder of
her life at Upper Sandusky, here passing away on the 21st of
June, 1909. Unto them were born twelve children, namely:
Frank, Susanna, John, William, Henry, Anthony, Cather-
ine, August, Joseph, Edwrard, Lena and Elizabeth.

Anthony Vogel attended school until fifteen years of age
and then learned the shoemaker’s trade, working at that occu-
pation for about seven years. When a young man of twenty-
five, he opened a shoe store at Upper Sandusky and has con-
ducted the same continuously since or for a period covering
three decades. He carries a stock of goods valued at ten

342

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

thousand dollars and has always been accorded a gratifying
and well merited patronage.

On the 19th of November, 1891, at Upper Sandusky, Mr.
Vogel was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Donnersbach,
a daughter of Reinhardt and Anna (Paulse) Donnersbach,
both of whom are deceased. During his active business career
the father followed farming in Mifflin township, this county.
The parents of Mrs. Vogel were both natives of Germany.
By her marriage she has become the mother of six children,
as follows: Walter C.; Margaret, who passed away on the 5th
of November, 1905, at the age of eleven years and seven
months ; Mary, who died on the 28th of April, 1899, at the age
of three years and seven months; Grace C.; Marcus A.; and
Helena. On the same lot where his father erected a home
more than a half century ago, Mr. Vogel has built a hand-
some modern dwelling of seven rooms.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr.
Vogel has supported the men and measures of the democracy,
believing firmly in the principles of that party. He has effi-
ciently served in the capacity of treasurer of Crane township
and has also done valuable service in the cause of education as
a member of the township school board. He belongs to the
Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Catholic
Knights of Ohio and a devout communicant of the Catholic
church. In the community where his entire life has been
spent he has won and maintained an enviable reputation as a
prosperous merchant and respected citizen. Industry and
progress seem to be the salient features in his career and have
been potent elements in the acquirement of a success which,
however, speaks not only in terms of material gain but in the
regard and high esteem of his fellowmen.

FLOYD STROUB.

Floyd Stroub, carrying on general farming upon an excel-
lent tract of land in Ridge township, is a native son of Ohio,
born in Hancock county, July 20, 1873, his parents being Ben-
jamin and Rebecca (Benner) Stroub, natives of Germany.
The family was founded in America by the grandfather of the
subject of this review, a well known United Brethren minis-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

343

ter, who preached the first sermon in the old St. Paul church.
His son, the father of our subject, was seventeen years of age
when he came to the United States. He settled upon a tract
of uncultivated land in Hancock county, cleared the timber
and built a log cabin, in which he resided for a number of
years, encountering all the hardships and inconveniences of
pioneer life. In 1894 he moved to Wyandot county, where he
resided until his death, which occurred in 1903, when he was
seventy-two years of age.

Floyd Stroub acquired his education in the district schools
of Hancock county and when he laid aside his books learned
the carpenter’s trade, which he followed, however, only a
short time. He preferred to engage in farming and accord-
ingly hired out on neighboring properties for ten years, rent-
ing in 1908 the farm which he now operates. The property is
highly improved and in excellent condition showing Mr.
Stroub ’s careful supervision and progressive methods.

On the 1st of J anuary, 1894, Mr. Stroub was united in mar-
riage to Miss Elma Beck, a daughter of Isaiah Beck, and they
became the parents of three children, one of whom died in
infancy. The others are Basil R. and Leonard B. Although
Mr. Stroub is not interested in politics in the sense of office
seeking, he has borne an active and helpful part in the work of
general improvement and progress. His influence is always
found on the side of development and growth and his work
has been an element in the county’s advancement.

FOSTER W. SAVIDGE.

Foster W. Savidge, operating the family homestead in
Salem township, is one of the most prosperous and progres-
sive farmers in this community, where he has resided since
his childhood. He is a native of Wyandot county, his birth
having occurred in Crawford township, March 21, 1880, and is
a son of George and Alice L. (Davis) Savidge. The father
was for many years a prominent farmer of Salem township, to
which district he removed when the subject of this review
was still a child. He died upon his farm June 13, 1907, at
the age of sixty. His family came originally from Hew Jer-

344

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

sey, while the mother of our subject was born in Marion
county, Ohio, a daughter of Isaac Davis.

Foster W. Savidge spent his boyhood days upon the home-
stead and wTas reared to farm work, aiding his father with the
tilling, planting and harvesting and acquiring his education in
the district schools. He has never left the farm and has had
entire charge of it for several years, his careful supervision
and progressive methods being evident in its excellent and
attractive condition. His mother makes her home with him.

On the 2d of September, 1903, Mr. Savidge was united in
marriage to Miss Mary Kimmel, a daughter of Andrew and
Laura (Burson) Kimmel, of Salem township. They have
four children, Alice, George, Ralph and Harvey. Mr. Savidge
is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
in politics votes independently, influenced only by merit and
suitability, without regard to party lines. In his business
affairs he has ever been straightforward and honorable, enjoy-
ing the full confidence of those with whom he is associated
and being numbered among Wyandot county’s most progres-
sive and successful native sons.

FRANKLIN L. MOYER, D. V. S.

Dr. Franklin L. Moyer, who since 1908 has been active in
the practice of veterinary surgery in Carey, is a native son of
Ohio, born in Lovell, March 26, 1883. His father, Cornelius
Moyer, was born in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, in 1853, and
lived in that state until he was twenty-eight years of age,
when he came wrest to Ohio, settling in Crawford township,
Wyandot county, where he engaged in farming and where he
still resides. His wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss
Emma E. Walborn, is also a native of Pennsylvania, her birth
having occurred in Berks county. In their family were two
children: Gertrude, who married Scott C. Tong, a carpenter
in Carey; and Dr. Franklin L., of this review.

The last named acquired his preliminary education in the
district schools of Carey and at the age of fourteen entered the
Carey high school, studying under Boxwell Law and grad-
uating in 1900. He afterward spent five years upon his
father’s farm, assisting in the work of its operation, but at

DR. FRANKLIN L. MOYER

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

347

the end of that time entered the Ohio State University, grad-
uating in veterinary surgery in 1908. In the same year he
opened an office for the practice of his profession in Carey
and has since secured a liberal and representative patronage,
accorded him in recognition of his knowledge and ability.
He owns a fine residence on South street and is connected with
a number of important business enterprises, being a stock-
holder in the L. & M. Rubber Manufacturing Company and
in the State Fire Insurance Company of Cleveland.

On the 8th of August, 1910, Hr. Moyer was united in mar-
riage, in Upper Sandusky, to Miss Daisy Ryder, a daughter
of Aaron and Barbara (Mussleman) Ryder, the former a well
known miller in Carey. Dr. and Mrs. Moyer are well known
in this city and their home is a center of hospitality for their
many friends. Dr. Moyer is a member of the English
Lutheran church and fraternally is connected with the
Knights of Pythias and the Maccabees. He was for two
years a corporal in the 0. S. U. cadets. Along lines of his
profession he belongs to the American Veterinary Medical
Association and in this way keeps in touch with its most ad-
vanced thought. He gives his political allegiance to the
democratic party but has never desired public office, prefer-
ring to concentrate his attention upon his professional duties.
His ability is well known and his skill unquestioned, and,
although he is still a young man, he has already established
himself in a successful and growing practice in this city.

WILLIAM II. FORNEY.

William H. Forney has resided in Wyandot county since
he was one year old and is a son of one of the prominent pio-
neers in this region. His entire active life has been spent in
farming and he today owns one hundred and thirty acres of
valuable land on section 3, Jackson township, being regarded
as a most progressive and enterprising citizen. He was born
in Tuscarawas county, November 14, 1863, and is a son of
John 11. and Mary C. (Kohr) Forney, the former born in Tus-
carawas county, October 12, 1835. His marriage occurred
January 4, 1857, and in the fall of 1864 he moved with his fam-
ily to Wyandot county, settling on one hundred and twenty

Vol. 11—18

348

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

acres of timber land. This he was obliged to clear and with
the timber cut built a log cabin, in which he resided for a
number of years. His entire life was spent upon this farm,
which he improved and developed into one of the finest agri-
cultural properties in this section of the state, dying upon the
homestead May 4, 1894. He was survived by his wife until
May 20, 1897. They were the parents of nine children, How-
ard 0., Lizzie J., Clara B., William H., Charles G., Clyde E.,
George M., T. Austin and Russell.

William H. Forney was reared to agricultural pursuits,
spending his childhood upon his father’s farm and attending
district school for three months in the year. The remainder
of his time was spent in assisting in the clearing of the new
tract and in the manifold duties connected with the operation
of a farm. Mr. Forney has never abandoned agricultural pur-
suits and is now one of the successful and prominent farmers
of Jackson township, owning one hundred and thirty acres
of land with fine improvements.

On September 30, 1888, Mr. Forney married, in Richland
township, Miss Clara V. Alter, a daughter of Jeremiah and
Jane S. Alter. She was born near Pittsburgh, September 13,
1867, and moved with her parents to Richland township,
Wyandot county, in 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Forney have four
children, Myron E., Almira E., J. Dale and Grace. The family
are members of the United Brethren church.

Mr. Forney gives loyal allegiance to the republican party
and served from 1897 to 1904 as township trustee. Although
still in the prime of life, his recollections reach back to pio-
neer times in Ohio, his childhood having been spent amid pio-
neer conditions. He is widely and favorably known through-
out the county where almost his entire life has been passed,
and has been a witness of many of the changes that have
occurred here in the course of advancement and development.

JOHN W. ANKNEY.

In a history of Wyandot county prominent mention should
be made of John W. Ankney, who is engaged in raising and
feeding stock and also in the cultivation and improvement of
a fine farm in Sycamore township. His progressive and enter-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

349

prising spirit and his determined purpose have constituted
the strongest elements in a success which places him today
among the representative agriculturists of this community.
He was born in the section where he now resides, August 3,
1867, and is a son of Isaac and Mary A. (Walter) Ankney,
the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1824 and
the latter in Sycamore township in 1829. The father of our
subject passed away in 1894. In his family were eight chil-
dren : George ; Ellen ; Martha, who died in 1877 ; Mary A. ;
Walter J. ; John W. ; James C. ; and Daniel, who has passed
away.

John W. Ankney acquired his education in the district
schools of Sycamore township, attending until he was twenty
years of age. For three years thereafter he aided his father
with the work of the farm but later secured employment as an
implement salesman, in which capacity he acted for four
years. At the end of that time, however, he engaged in farm-
ing and has continued in this occupation since that time. He
makes a specialty of feeding and fattening cattle and hogs
and raising horses and also deals extensively in sheep, his
herds containing thirty-five head of thoroughbred Short-
horns, four hundred head of Delano sheep, fifty thoroughbred
Chester White hogs and seven horses. He is a well known
live-stock dealer and is seldom if ever in error in placing a
valuation upon farm animals. He has thus been enabled to
make judicious purchases and profitable sales and his stock-
raising interests are an important branch of his business. In
this relation he belongs to the Shorthorn Breeders Associa-
tion and also the O. I. C. Association, and is a prominent figure
in these bodies.

On the 3d of August, 1889, Mr. Ankney was united in mar-
riage at Upper Sandusky to Miss Mary E. Martin and they
became the parents of fifteen children: William G., who died
in 1890; Walter B., whose death occurred in 1891; Otto F.;
Ho May, who died in 1893; Harry E.; Susie L., whose
death occurred in 1897 ; Elmer R. ; Winnie G. ; Fred E., who
died in 1903 ; J. Kenneth; Carl P. ; Nellie E. ; Laura H, ; and
two children, who died in infancy.

Mr. Ankney gives his political allegiance to the republican
party, but has never been active in political affairs, preferring
to devote his entire attention to his farming interests. He is
a good financier and business man and has gradually worked

350

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

his way upward until he is now one of the prosperous citizens
of Sycamore township. He is practical and systematic in all
that he does and has gained that measure of prosperity which
follows earnest, persistent and well directed labor.

T. E. UNDERWOOD.

The business activities of T. E. Underwood have had direct
and important bearing upon the commercial and industrial
upbuilding of Sycamore. Here he has lived since 1905 and is
now president of the Sycamore Milling Company, controlling
one of the important productive industries of Wyandot
county. Aside from this he has other important interests
which make him a leading citizen here. He was born in Craw-
ford county, Ohio, April 1, 1867, and is a representative of one
of the old families of this state. His father, Valentine Under-
wood, was also born in Crawford county in 1840 and was a
miller by trade. When but twenty-one years of age he had
charge of a mill, having previously thoroughly mastered the
business in principle and detail. He became one of the best
known flour manufacturers in this part of Ohio and remained
actively in the business up to the time of his death, which
occurred in 1909. In early manhood he had wedded Lucetta
Acquaintice, who was born in Crawford county in 1843 and
now makes her home with her younger son, T. E. Underwood.
The elder son of the family is Franklin Underwood, who is
manager of a grain elevator. He married Belle Wert, of
Crawford county, and they have four children: Thomas, Mar-
garet, Mary and Robert.

T. E. Underwood pursued his education in the schools of
Crawford county to the age of seventeen years and since that
time has been dependent upon his own resources, working ear-
nestly and persistently to achieve success. For seven years
he was employed as telegraph operator and station agent and
subsequently acted as clerk at coal mines in Perry county,
Ohio, for five years. His capability and fidelity in that con-
nection won him promotion and for four years he served as
superintendent of the mines. All this experience brought him
comprehensive knowledge of the business in its various phases
and led him to organize the Tropic Mining Company, of which

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

351

he became the president. This company purchased coal lands
and opened a mine which they operated for five years, meet-
ing with success in the undertaking. Mr. Underwood with-
drew from that field of labor in 1905, however, and came to
Sycamore, where he purchased a flour mill, thus becoming
actively connected with a business with which he had gained
some familiarity in his boyhood, owing to the hours which he
spent in his father’s flour mill. The enterprise is now being
conducted under the name of the Sycamore Milling Company
with T. E. Underwood as the president, C. C. Flarilda as the
vice president and secretary and Maurice Underwood as the
treasurer. Their property is valued at seventy-five thousand
dollars and theirs is one of the extensive productive indus-
tries of the county, having a daily output of three hundred bar-
rels. The plant is equipped with the most modern milling
machinery and the product is of such grade and excellence
as to secure a ready sale on the market. The business, too, is
most capably managed and the enviable results secured are
due in large measure to the enterprise, executive force, busi-
ness capability and sound judgment of Mr. Underwood.
Moreover, he is recognized as a resourceful business man in
other connections and is now vice president and treasurer of
the Kessler Yeast Company of Columbus, Ohio, and a director
of the Federal Lumber Company of Alabama.

On the 1st of June, 1888, in Oceola, Ohio, was celebrated
the marriage of Mr. Underwood and Miss Susie Hosterman, a
daughter of David and Harriett (Yore) Hosterman, of Oceola,
the former a carpenter by trade. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Under-
wood have been born three children : Maurice D., Clair Y. and
Graydon J. The eldest is now connected with his father in
the milling business as treasurer of the company. He mar-
ried Jessie Emerson, of Sycamore.

Mr. Underwood votes with the republican party, is inter-
ested in its success and active in its support. For two terms
he served as one of the councilmen of Sycamore. He belongs
to the Knights of Pythias lodge and to the Methodist church
— associations which indicate much of the nature of his inter-
ests and the rules that govern his conduct. Starting out in
life for himself at the age of seventeen years, every step that
he has made has been a forward one and thus year by year he
has advanced until he now occupies a prominent position
in manufacturing circles in Wyandot county. He enjoys the

352

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

confidence and good-will of colleagues and contemporaries
and his business record, when viewed from the standpoint of
enterprise and integrity, is such as any man might be proud to
possess.

JOHN WIEST.

John Wiest, who bases his success in agricultural work
upon hard work and a practical knowledge of farming, is the
owner of a fine tract of one hundred and nineteen acres in
Pitt township and is recognized as a factor in the agricultural
growth of that section. He was born in Richland township,
Marion county, March 21, 1855, and is a son of Christopher
and Mary (Wilt) Wiest, the former of whom was born in
Germany in 1822 and the latter in Stark county, Ohio, in
1831. The father came to America when he was fifteen years
of age and settled immediately in Richland township, where
for fifteen years he worked as a coach driver, later engaging
in farming. He died in 1901, having survived his wife since
1889. They were the parents of twelve children, all of whom
are now living except three, namely : Christopher, who died at
the age of twenty-five years ; and Caroline and another child
who died in infancy. Tliose who survive are Louisa, Barbara,
John, Samuel, Lena, Caroline, Christina, Maggie and Charles.

John Wiest ’s educational opportunities were limited to
three months ’ attendance in the district schools of Little San-
dusky and he is therefore largely self-educated, his knowl-
edge coming as the result of observation, reading and study in
later life. From the age of fifteen until he was twenty he
aided in the operation of the home farm and then in 1875 pur-
chased land on his own account, buying eighty acres which he
sold in 1908. In that year he purchased one hundred and nine-
teen acres in Pitt township and has since engaged in farming
and stock-raising upon this property, both branches of his
business being extremely profitable. He raises oats, corn,
wheat and hay and keeps three hundred and fifty Duroc J er-
sey hogs, three hundred sheep, sixty head of cattle and fif-
teen horses, his animals commanding a high price and a ready
sale in the local markets. Mr. Wiest has improved his farm
with a modern residence, good barns and outbuildings and has

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

353

installed all of the conveniences and accessories necessary in
the operation of a model agricultural enterprise.

On January 14, 1870, in Upper Sandusky, Mr. Wiest was
united in marriage to Miss Emma Swinehart, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Swinehart, the former a farmer in Pitt
township. Mr. and Mrs. Wiest are the parents of three chil-
dren: Daisy M., who married Edward Hornby, a farmer in
Pitt township, by whom she has one daughter, Ima; Alrader,
a farmer in Pitt township, who married Miss Wyna Mauser,
by whom he has one child, Mozella; and Maud C., who mar-
ried Clarence Roberts, a farmer of Pitt township, by whom she
has two daughters, Katherine and Helen.

Mr. Wiest ’s fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic
order, the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Mac-
cabees. He is a member of the Wyandot Mutual Protective
Association, and his religious views are in accord with the
doctrines of the Methodist church. Politically he affiliates
with the democratic party and has served his fellow citizens
as supervisor of Pitt township for five years and as treasurer
of the school board for thirteen years. His influence is ever
on the side of right and progress and his labors have therefore
been a force in the county’s advancement.

EARL E. GLASCO.

For many years Earl E. Glasco has been closely connected
in an important way with the affairs of municipal public serv-
ice corporations in Ohio and throughout the course of his ca-
reer has advanced steadily step by st ep until as superintendent
of the water company at Sycamore he occupies a place of
prominence and trust. He is a native son of the state, born in
Ada, on the 9th of October, 1879, his parents being Alexander
a>nd Martha (Whisnor) Glasco. The father was born in France
and remained in that country until he grew to manhood, com-
ing to America before the Civil war. He served throughout
that conflict in the Federal army and afterward made his home
in Ohio, where he is now residing at the age of sixty-five. The
mother of our subject was born in Belief ontaine, Ohio, in 1852,
and she also is still living. In their family were six children,
Lillie, Addie, Curtis, Earl, Pearl and Harry.

354

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

Earl E. Glaseo attended the public schools of Ada until
he was twenty years of age and then learned the steam-fitter’s
and machinist’s trades, becoming rapidly proficient in both
lines. His expert skill soon gained recognition and led grad-
ually to his connection with important city work along the line
of his chosen occupation and for many years he held important
positions with municipal light and water plants in various
parts of the state. He was for four years in Upper Sandusky
and came from there to Sycamore in 1910 as superintendent of
the municipal water plant here. He has proven a capable,
efficient and reliable official and, indeed, throughout his entire
business career has been looked upon as a man of high honor
and sterling integrity. His success is an example of what
determination and force of character, when combined with
honesty, can accomplish, for he is highly respected by the com-
munity at large and honored by his business associates.

On October 27, 1906, Mr. Glaseo married, in Forest, Miss
Blanche Young, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Young,
of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Glaseo have two daughters, Regina
and Edith. The family are devout members of the Presby-
terian church. Fraternally Mr. Glaseo is affiliated with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He gives his political
allegiance to the republican party and is at the present time
superintendent of public affairs at Sycamore. His success
has been won entirely by the old methods of honesty and fair
dealing. He has carefully planned his business career, has
the ability and executive force to carry it forward and has
gained thereby a gratifying prosperity.

OTTO C. STUTZ, M. D.

Each calling or business, if honorable, has its place in
human existence, constituting a part of the plan whereby
life’s methods are pursued and man reaches his ultimate
destiny. Emerson said that: “All are needed by each one”
— and that is as true in one avenue of life’s activities as in
another. However, the importance of a business or profes-
sion is in a very large measure determined by its beneficence
or usefulness. So dependent is man upon his fellowmen that
the worth of each individual is largely reckoned by what he

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

357

has done for humanity. -There is no class to whom greater
gratitude is due from the world at large than to those men
whose life work has been the alleviation of suffering that
rests upon humanity, thus lengthening the span of human
existence. There is no known standard by which their be-
neficent influence can be measured; their helpfulness is as
broad as the universe and their power goes hand in hand
with the wonderful laws of nature that come from the very
source of life itself. Someone has aptly said: “He serves
God best who serves humanity most.” The skilful physician,
then, by the exercise of his native talents and his acquired
abilities, is not only performing a service for humanity but
is following in the footsteps of the Divine Teacher Himself,
who said: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the

least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

One of the prominent and successful physicians of Wyan-
dot county, Ohio, is Dr. Otto C. Stutz. He is of German an-
cestry and in his make-up there stand out prominently those
sturdy qualities of the Teutonic race. His father, Adam
Stutz, was a native of Germany and was there reared and
educated. When about thirty years old he left the fatherland
and came to the United States. For a number of years he was
in the employ of the Hudson Railway & Ship Company, act-
ing in the capacity of interpreter, and afterwards for a time
on the police force of New York city. In 1864 he came to
Upper Sandusky, where for several years he was engaged
in the saloon business, also taking an active part in political
matters; being a man of much shrewdness and sound judg-
ment he was elected to the office of recorder of Wyandot
county and upon the expiration of his term was chosen his
own successor. He afterward served four years as deputy
in the same office, holding this position at the time of his
death, in 1891, aged sixty-nine years. He was a democrat
politically and always fair and honorable in his business af-
fairs. His wife, whose maiden name was Caroline Hinkel-
man, was also a native of Germany. She was brought to
America by her parents when a very young girl and is still
living in Upper Sandusky at the age of seventy-two years.
She was the mother of twelve children, five of whom are dead.

Otto C. Stutz, the second in order of birth in this large
family, was born in Albany, New York, on the 17th of April,
1862. He was but two years old when brought to Upper San-

358

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

dusky by his parents and here he was reared, securing his
preliminary education in the public schools of Upper San-
dusky. The medical profession held an allurement for him
and so, as a preparatory step, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and
commenced reading medicine with Dr. Hyme of that city.
He matriculated in the Starling Medical College at Colum-
bus, this state, in 1881, and pursued three courses of study
in that institution. He also attended two terms at Wooster
University, Cleveland, being graduated at the latter institu-
tion in 1885. He at once returned to Upper Sandusky and
entered upon the active practice of his profession. He soon
secured a liberal and remunerative patronage and has won
recognition as one of the leading physicians of this section
of Ohio. Under the administration of President Cleveland
Dr. Stutz held for four years the office of secretary of the
board of pension examiners. He has held the position of
county physician for twenty-five years, was county coroner
and has been health officer of the city for fifteen years. He
takes a keen interest in educational matters and for two
terms he has been a member of the school board. These posi-
tions were mostly along the line of his profession but he has
also been interested in the general welfare of his city, as is
shown by the fact that he was one of the prime movers in the
organization of the Upper Sandusky Board of Trade, and is
still a member of that body. In January, 1895, Dr. Stutz was
commissioned by Governor McKinley assistant surgeon of
the Second Regiment Infantry, Ohio National Guard, with
which rank he served for a period of three years. He has
be'en identified with various public enterprises, prominent
among which is the Tiffin & Marion Electric Railroad, now
in course of construction. When completed this road, con-
sisting of a double track, will connect the cities of Tiffin and
Marion and pass through the towns of Melmore, Sycamore,
Belleverton, Upper Sandusky, Little Sandusky and places
of lesser note, besides opening to traffic one of the most fertile
and populous areas in this section of the state. Under the
management of such promoters as the Doctor and men of his
energy and enterprise the work is being rapidly advanced
and the completion of the road is in no distant future.

In 1886 Dr. Stutz was united in marriage to Miss Cora A.
King, a daughter of William C. King, of this city. His mar-
riage is blessed with one son, Paul K., aged twenty-two

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

359

years. Fraternally the Doctor is a member of the Royal Ar-
canum, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and the Masons. Politically he is a
democrat and takes a keen interest in the success of his party.
Dr. Stutz and his wife are active and consistent members of
Trinity church. The Doctor is a gentleman in full possession
of the youth and vigor which act as a stimulus to greater
and far-reaching accomplishments in his much loved profes-
sion, while his skill and experience far outreach his years.
Possessed of an energy which is second only to native ability,
he devotes much time to study and research, penetrating the
hidden mysteries of science and medical lore and by this
method keeping thoroughly in touch wdth the latest advances
in his profession. He is a genial gentleman, always courte-
ous and considerate, of broad human sympathies and toler-
ance, and possessed of that sincere love for his fellowmen
without which there can never be the highest success in the
medical profession. His friends are legion and the history
of Wyandot county would not be complete without a record
of his life and work.

HENRY HOHNALD.

Henry Hohnald, a large landowner and extensive stock-
raiser of Crane township, was born in Upper Sandusky, Sep-
tember 8, 1847, and is a son of one of the earliest settlers in
this section of Ohio. His father, Casper Hohnald, was born in
France in 1820 and made his first location in this state in 1845,
taking up his residence here in earliest pioneer times. At the
government land sale he purchased lot No. 199, which is now
just south of the Daily Chief building on Sandusky avenue in
Upper Sandusk}^. Upon this property Casper Hohnald lived
for a number of years and there his son Henry was born.
The father followed the shoemaking trade in Upper Sandusky
until 1853, but in that year turned his attention to agricul-
tural pursuits, buying a farm in Crane township, upon which
he resided until his death in 1895. His wife, who was in her
maidenhood Miss Mary M. Von Brunen, was born in Switzer-
land in 1824 and died in Crane township in 1864. They were

360

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

the parents of four children, John, Henry, Catherine and
Julian.

In the acquirement of an education Henry Ilohnald at-
tended the public schools of Upper Sandusky until he was
thirteen years of age and then spent two years in the German
school, after which he laid aside his books and turned his
attention to farming, an occupation with which he has been
identified since that time. That he has met with a large de-
gree of prosperity is evidenced by the fact that he now owns
six hundred and fifty acres of rich and productive land on
section 4, Crane township, upon which he raises hay, corn and
oats, gathering large crops annually. He attributes his suc-
cess in large measure to his stock-raising interests, being an
extensive breeder of fine sheep, of which he has one hundred
and fifty at the present time. He keeps also eight head of cat-
tle and two horses.

Mr. Hohnald is a member of the English Lutheran church
and politically gives his allegiance to the democratic party,
although he votes independently on all local issues. He is
interested in the cause of education and has evidenced this
interest by several years of able and effective work as a direc-
tor of the school board. Throughout his entire life he has
made his home in Wyandot county and for a long period has
been recognized as one of its most substantial and progressive
citizens, receiving from all who are associated with him the
respect due to one whose career has ever been upright and
honorable.

JOHN S. BROOKS.

Among the agriculturists of Salem township who are asso-
ciated with the representative citizens and who have achieved
success is numbered John S. Brooks, who operates the family
homestead. He is the representative of the third generation
in America of the Bruch family, whose name during the course
of years has undergone some changes, finally acquiring its
present form. The father of our subject, Christian Bruch, was
born in Nassau, Germany, July 12, 1825, and until he was nine-
teen years of age resided near the place of his birth, attending

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

361

school and working at various occupations during his vaca-
tions. In May, 1844, he accompanied his parents, Christian
and Mary Bruch, on their journey across the Atlantic in a
sailing vessel. They were thirty-four days upon the ocean
and after landing in New York, proceeded to Sandusky, Ohio,
by boat and from there to Mansfield by wagon. There the
father of our subject found employment with a stone mason,
receiving for his services eight dollars per month. In 1846
he came to Wyandot county and here entered forty acres of
government land in Salem township, upon which he built a
log cabin and proceeded with the work of development. Dur-
ing the summer months, however, he worked at the stone
mason ’s trade and spent the winters clearing the timber from
his property, and gradually brought the unbroken soil under
the plow. As his financial resources grew he added to his
holdings, purchasing in 1860 an additional eighty acres, and
upon this property his son now resides. Here also Mr. Bruch,
Sr., the grandfather of the subject of this review, died in 1875,
at the advanced age of eighty-seven, his wife having passed
away three years previously, at the same age. Christian
Bruch, the father of our subject, married Miss Mary Everly,
a daughter of Henry Everly. She was bom in Maryland and
in early life came to Ohio, where she resided until her death,
which occurred in August, 1866, when she was thirty-three
years of age. She left to mourn her loss seven children : John
S. ; Frank; Joseph; Henry; Mary, the wife of Philip Meyers,
of Postoria, Ohio ; Anna, who married P. S. Kritz, of Toledo ;
and Rose, the wife of Adam Jackson, of Fostoria. Christian
Bruch is one of the best known men in Salem township and
his life has been characterized by steady adherence to high
standards and ideals. He is a democrat in his political be-
liefs and active in public affairs, although aside from his
period of service as school director he has held no official posi-
tion, preferring to give his entire time to his farming opera-
tions and to his extensive business interests in Upper San-
dusky. He is a man of excellent business ability, well
known throughout the community for his honesty and for the
interest which he takes in the public welfare. He is in every
sense of the word worthy of the confidence of his friends and
associates and during his active life was one of the township’s
most substantial business factors. He is now retired and
makes his home with the subject of this review.

362

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

John S. Brooks of this review was born in Upper San-
dusky, May 12, 1857, and acquired his education in the public
schools of that community. When not engaged with his books
he aided in the operation of the homestead and since com-
pleting his studies has given his entire time to the manage-
ment of the farm. Although handicapped by ill health he has
nevertheless achieved prosperity and success and the farm is
in a high state of cultivation, well improved with a fine resi-
dence, barns and outbuildings and giving evidence every-
where of care and supervision. Religiously Mr. Brooks ad-
heres to the doctrines of the Catholic church. He has
inherited industry, integrity and perseverance from his sturdy
Teutonic ancestors, always evidencing that willingness to work
and ambition to succeed, common to those of his race. He
has step by step made his way in the world until he has risen
to a position where he is numbered among the county’s sub-
stantial farmers and most highly respected citizens.

RALPH E. SMITH.

Ralph E. Smith, who since beginning his active career at
the age of eighteen has followed the barber’s trade, is one of
the active, enterprising and progressive young business men
of Upper Sandusky. He was born in Marseilles township,
November 29, 1884, and is a son of George W. and Deborah
(Gatchell) Smith, the former a retired farmer. In this fam-
ily were seven children, Charles C., Edward, David, Ada,
Carrie, Bessie and Ralph E.

Ralph E. Smith acquired his education in the public schools
of Upper Sandusky, which he attended until he was eighteen
years of age, laying aside his books at that time to become a
barber. He has followed this trade continuously since that
time and has now a liberal patronage which is accorded him
in recognition of his skill and his straightforward business
methods. In addition to his work along this line he conducts
a large dancing school in the city, giving a great deal of his
attention to his classes.

On the 20th of June, 1907, Mr. Smith was united in mar-
riage to Mrs. Nellie B. Weiss, a daughter of G. W. Marshall,
of Upper Sandusky. They are the parents of two children,

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

363

Evelyn S. and Norma L. The elder daughter is only four
years of age but has remarkable musical talent, being able to
keep almost perfect time on the piano. Mrs. Smith has also
one daughter by her first marriage, Alice E.

Mr. Smith attends the Methodist church, although he does
not hold membership, and fraternally he is connected with the
Improved Order of Red Men. He gives his political allegiance
to the republican party but has never been active in public
life, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his business
affairs. He is still a young man but already prosperous, and
he possesses in his character and personality the salient ele-
ments of success, so that his future advancement is assured.

CHARLES WIEST.

Charles Wiest owns and cultivates a farm of one hundred
and sixty acres in Pitt township and by constant application
and progressive methods has surrounded himself with a nota-
ble degree of prosperity. He is a native of this part of Wyan-
dot county, born January 28, 1875, his parents being Christo-
pher and Mary (Wilt) Wiest. The father was born in Baden,
Germany, in 1822 and the mother in Stark county, Ohio, in
1831. Christopher Wiest left his native country at the age of
fifteen and came as a pioneer to Richland township, Marion
county, where for fifteen years he worked as a coach driver,
later engaging in farming until his death, which occurred in
1901. His wife has also passed away, her death having oc-
curred in 1889. In their family were twelve children, all of
whom are now living except three, namely : Christopher, who
died at the age of twenty-five years ; and Caroline and another
child who died in infancy. Those who survive are Louisa,
Barbara, John, Samuel, Lena, Caroline, Christina, Maggie and
Charles.

Charles Wiest acquired his early education in the district
schools of Little Sandusky, which he attended until he was
twenty-two years of age, and afterward took a course in the
Ohio Northern University at Ada. He never neglected any
educational opportunity and by constant study and wide read-
ing, fitted himself for teaching, an occupation which he fol-
lowed in Pitt township for three years. In 1900, however, he

364

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

turned his attention to farming and bought eighty acres of
land to which he has added from time to time, his holdings
now comprising one hundred and sixty acres. He raises hay,
corn, oats and a little wheat and keeps three hundred sheep,
one hundred hogs, thirty head of cattle and eight horses, his
stock-raising interests constituting an important source of
his income.

On October 4, 1899, at Larue, Ohio, Mr. Wiest married
Miss Bertha Alice Coon, a daughter of George W. and Mary
Alice (Brenner) Coon, the former a prominent farmer of that
place. Mr. and Mrs. Wiest have two daughters, Lora M. and
Mary Alice. Mrs. Wiest is a devout member of the Baptist
church but her husband has no religious affiliations. He is a
member of the Wyandot Mutual Insurance Company, and his
political allegiance is given to the democratic party. Al-
though he served for six years as a member of the school
board, he has never desired office as a reward for party loyalty,
preferring to give his time to the management of his business
interests, which are conducted in a capable and progressive
way, gaining him high rank among the leaders in the agricul-
tural development in this part of the state.

BENJAMIN C. HARMAN.

Few men are more prominent or more widely known in
Upper Sandusky than Benjamin C. Harman, who since 1904
has been a leading factor in its mercantile circles. He is a
native son of the city , born September 17, 1881, his parents
being William Eugene and Nancy (Conley) Harman, the
former of whom was born in McCutchenville, Ohio, in 1847
and the latter in Wyandot county in 1862. The father was a
carpenter by trade and followed this occupation until his
death, which occurred in 1900. In this family were four chil-
dren: Benjamin C., of this review; Ransom, a glass blower,
who married Miss Della Travis, by whom he has two children,
Edna and Eugene; Bonnie, who married Joseph Charlton, a
mining engineer, by whom she has three children, John, Fern
and Nancy; and Fred, who married Miss Eva Carpenter and
who is now a clerk in the employ of his brother, the subject
of this review.

B. C. HARMAN

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

367

Benjamin C. Harman attended the public schools of Upper
Sandusky and later entered a college at Massillon, Ohio, of
which he was a student until twenty years of age. He began
his business career as a carpenter and followed that occupa-
tion for three years, after which he bought an interest in a
meat market, which he conducted in partnership with a Mr.
Rangeler for some time. When he sold out his interest in this
concern he formed a. partnership with Mr. Fink in the groc-
ery business but in 1909 purchased his partner’s interest
and has since conducted the enterprise alone. In 1912 he
added a meat market to his grocery store and has made both
departments extremely profitable. He has a stock valued
at three thousand dollars and conducts all business on a cash
basis, being rewarded for his able management and upright
business methods by a large and representative patronage.
He now operates two wagons in the delivery of his goods and
has laid the foundation of what will undoubtedly come to be
one of the leading mercantile concerns in this part of Wyandot
county.

On June 29, 1909, Mr. Harman was united in marriage at
Upper Sandusky to Miss Minnie Stecher, a daughter of Gott-
lieb and Mary Stecher, the former a prosperous bricklayer.
Mr. and Mrs. Harman are the parents of two sons: Robert
Eugene, born April 20, 1911; and one, yet unnamed, born Feb-
ruary 4, 1913. Mr. Harman is a regular attendant at the
Evangelical church but does not hold membership. He be-
longs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in politics
is a consistent republican, standing at all times for reform and
progress in community affairs. He is yet a young man but
has already won success in the field of commercial activity
and is numbered among the influential and honored citizens
of Upper Sandusky.

STEPHEN P. NORTON.

Agricultural interests of Antrim township find a worthy
and progressive representative in Stephen P. Norton, who is a
native son of the section and who since beginning his active
career has been engaged in farming here. Success has at-
tended his well directed efforts and he is today the owner of

VoL n— 19

368 PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

\ * <■ *

one hundred and sixty acres on section 7, one of the best im-
proved and profitable enterprises in this part of the state.
He was born March 22, 1856, and is a son of Isaac and Eliza-
beth (Nesbit) Norton, both natives of Pennsylvania, the for-
mer born in York county, March 26, 1882, and the latter, in
1823. The father came to Wayne county and then to Wyandot
county in pioneer times, settling in Antrim township in 1847.
From that time until his death, which occurred in 1879, he
engaged in farming, becoming a prosperous and successful
agriculturist. His wife has passed away, her death having
occurred in 1887. In this family were thirteen children, John
G., Amanda, Hiram, Rebecca, Finley, Elizabeth, Catherine,
Clay, Stephen P., Katie, Addie, Sarah and Benjamin, all of
whom are living except the last named, who died in infancy.

Stephen P. Norton was reared to the occupation of farming
and his childhood was similar to that of most farm lads. He
had the advantage of a good education, attending the district
school until he was seventeen and then spending four winters
in the Ohio Northern University at Ada. After he put aside
his books he farmed upon the homestead, aiding his father in
its development until after the latter’s death in 1879. Five
years afterward Stephen P. Norton rented a farm in the vicin-
ity and for a number of years cultivated this property, mak-
ing it a valuable and well managed agricultural enterprise.
In 1889 he made his first purchase of land, buying eighty acres
which he developed for sixteen years, after which he sold this
farm and in 1905 bought one hundred and sixty acres on sec-
tion 7. He has here steadily carried forward the work of im-
provement, erecting fine buildings upon his land, which is now
provided with a barn, originally twenty-six by eighty-nine
feet, but with an L addition forty-three by thirty-three feet.
All of the other buildings are modern, adequate and in good
repair and the attractive appearance of the farm is an evi-
dence of Mr. Norton’s careful and intelligent supervision. He
raises hay, corn and oats and in addition is extensively inter-
ested in stock breeding, keeping ten head of cattle, six horses,
one hundred sheep and forty hogs.

On October 16, 1889, in Crawford county, Mr. Norton mar-
ried Miss Clara Sabina McCracken, a daughter of Jesse M.
and Mary L. (Cook) McCracken, farmers in that part of Ohio.
Her great-grandparents were Alexander and Margret (Mar-
shall) McCracken. The former, whose natal year was 1746,

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

369

died at Cambridge, Ohio, on the 9th of September, 1851, aged
one hundred and four years, four months and fifteen days.
His wife, a daughter of Lord Marshall of Ireland, was born in
1763 and died at Xenia, Ohio, on the 29th of June, 1827, at the
age of sixty-four years. Their children were as follows:
Henry, born in March, 1783, who died on shipboard, on the
Atlantic ocean; Sarah (McCracken) McHenry, who was born
in Pennsylvania in June, 1785; Mrs. Lillie (McCracken) Reid,
whose birth occurred on the 20th of November, 1786, and who
passed away at Cambridge, Ohio, at the age of ninety-seven
years; William, who died at Cambridge, Ohio, when eighty-
four years of age; Robert, whose natal day was April 5, 1790,
and who passed away at the age of ninety-three years; James
and Alexander, twins, who were born on the 11th of October,
1791; Henry, the second of the name and the father of Jesse
M. McCracken, who was born on the 30th of July, 1793, and
died at Monmouth, Illinois, on the 21st of April, 1838, at the
age of forty-five years; Mrs. Martha (McCracken) Harbin-
son was born on the 10th of April, 1795, and died in Kan-
sas; Mrs. Margret (McCracken) Gaff, born January 11, 1797,
wTho died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of ninety-three
years; J ohn, who was born on the 1st of April, 1799; Mrs. Jane
(McCracken) McConnel, whose birth occurred on the 22d of
January, 1801, and who passed away at Wooster, Ohio; Ar-
thur, born February 9, 1804, who died at Houston, Texas, on
the 27th of March, 1887, when eighty-three years of age; and
Mrs. Mary (McCracken) MuClary, who was born on the 17th
of March, 1807, and passed away in Kansas. Jesse Mitchel
McCracken, the father of Mrs. Clara S. Norton, was born at
Xenia, Ohio, on the 8th of May, 1832, while the birth of his
wife, Mary Louisa (Cook) McCracken, occurred at Bucyrus,
Ohio, on the 10th of August, 1839. Unto them were born ten
children, as follows: Hattie Belle, who was born at Bucyrus,
Ohio, on the 23d of March, 1862; Frank Hopkins, whose birth
occurred at Bucyrus, Ohio, on the 12th of January, 1864;
Clara Sabina, who was born at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, on the
2d of December, 1865; William Henry, who was born at Bucy-
rus, Ohio, on the 9th of March, 1868; Jay Cook, whose birth
occurred at Bucyrus, Ohio, on the 20th of July, 1870; Anna
May, born at Wyandot, Ohio, on the 8th of May, 1872; Mary
Grace, born at Wyandot, Ohio, on the 23d of March, 1874;
Arthur Marshall, who was born at Nevada, Ohio, on the 22d

370

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

of September, 1876; Maggie Laura, born at Bucyrus, Ohio,
on the 20th of June, 1879; and George Ralph, whose birth
occurred at Bucyrus, Ohio, on the 3d of August, 1883.

Mr. and Mrs. Norton are the parents of ten children: Fred-
erick E., born in 1890; Louis A., 1892; May R., 1894; Thomas
J., 1896; Joseph M., 1897; Olive G., 1899; Robert R., 1902;
Clarence E., 1904; John H., 1907 ; and Albert S., born in 1909.
The family are members of the Baptist church.

Stephen P. Norton does not affiliate with any particular
political party, voting independently according to his per-
sonal convictions. He served for two years as township su-
pervisor and was for a similar period a member of the school
board, his public service being marked by able, conscientious
and far-sighted work. Antrim township numbers him among
her most valued native sons, for his success has come as the
result of his own labor and energy and his life has been at all
times honorable and upright, worthy of the high esteem in
which he is uniformly held.

WILLIAM ZAHN.

Through well directed business activity and enterprise
and through the force of his public spirit and high integrity
William Zahn has achieved notable success in the discharge
of his duties as superintendent of the Wyandot County In-
firmary, an office which he has held since April, 1911. He was
born on his father’s farm in Salem township, January 3,
1872, and is a son of Julius and Fredrica (Tireing) Zahn,
natives of Germany. The father came to the United States
when he was twenty-four years of age and came as a pioneer
into Salem township, where he bought government land and
built a log cabin, encountering in early years all of the hard-
ships and privations of pioneer life. He built a log cabin
upon his holdings and carried forward the work of develop-
ment for many years, residing on his farm until 1900, when
he retired and moved into Upper Sandusky, where he has
an attractive home. He is one of the best known citizens in
this community, where his honorable and upright character
has gained him widespread esteem. His wife passed away
in 1902.

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

373

William Zahn is one of a family of thirteen children. He
acquired his education in the district schools of Salem town-
ship and afterward spent two years at the Findlay Business
College. In the meantime he did his share of the work on the
home farm and in this way became thoroughly familiar with
the details and the best methods of carrying on a model agri-
cultural enterprise. When he was twenty years of age he
moved into Findlay, where he worked in a grocery store for
two years, after which he came to Caney and here conducted
a restaurant for thirteen years. When he disposed of that
enterprise he became identified with the clothing business,
forming a partnership with Mr. Kemerly under the firm
name of Kemerly & Zahn. Their association continued for
three years, or until April, 1911, when Mr. Zahn was ap-
pointed to the position of superintendent of the County In-
firmary. Although he succeeded Frank Schumacher, known
as one of the most capable men who ever served in this posi-
tion, Mr. Zahn has nevertheless made a gratifying record,
for he possesses the business ability and the executive force
necessary for the efficient discharge of his difficult duties.

On October 31, 1900, Mr. Zahn was united in marriage to
Miss Mary Garn, a daughter of Jeremiah Garn, of Carey, a
well known agriculturist. They have one son, Norman, born
August 25, 1901. The parents are active members of the
Evangelical Lutheran church, and Mrs. Zahn is popular in
social circles, being highly esteemed for her many accomplish-
ments of mind and heart and her warm-hearted hospitality,
which she ever dispenses. Mr. Zahn gives stanch allegiance
to the democratic party and is eminently progressive and
public-spirited in all matters of citizenship, never seeking to
evade his duties along this line. Before he was appointed
superintendent of the County Infirmary he served ably and
conscientiously as a member of the city council. He is one
of the best known and most highly respected residents of
Wyandot county, where he was born and reared. His record
is, indeed, a commendable one and the most envious can utter
no word of reproach against his official service. In business,
too, his course has been characterized by the strictest fidelity
to principle and in social relations he displays many fine
qualities that have won for him many friends.

374

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

JEROME FISHER.

After a successful career on the road, Jerome Fisher has
returned to one of the primeval and most noble occupations
to which mankind may devote its energies — that of agricul-
ture. He finds therein not only satisfactory but profitable
returns, and although it has been but a few years that he has
been so engaged, he has already made valuable and substan-
tial progress, as he employs the most modern methods and is
ever ready to adopt new measures in order to promote his
interests.

Mr. Fisher was born in Mifflin township, Wyandot county,
on December 3, 1882, and is a son of Casper and Susan (Moll)
Fisher. The father is a native of Crestline, Ohio, born in 1858, .
and is a salesman for acetylene gas generators and supplies,
his territory being the northern part of the state. He makes
his home in Bucyrus, Ohio. The mother was born in Salem
township, this county, in 1858. In their family are the follow-
ing children: Jerome, of this review; Anna M., who married
Louis Sutter, a plumber of Crestline, Ohio, and they have one
child; Lawrence F., who married Margaret La Fontaine, by
whom he has one child and who is farming in Mifflin town-
ship; Victoria E.; Raymond; and Eugene.

Jerome Fisher was reared at home and had early instilled
in his youthful consciousness lessons on the value of thrift,
diligence and honesty. He attended district school in Mifflin
township until seventeen years of age and then remained on
the farm until twenty-one years old. At that time he became
a salesman, disposing of acetylene gas generators and sup-
plies, and so continued until 1912, when he returned to the
farm. He farms the home property on shares with his brother
Lawrence and although he has had charge for but a short
time, has already instituted a number of improvements which
are productive of greater results. An energetic young man,
he intensely devotes himself to the work on hand and there is
no doubt that he will be as successful in agricultural fields as
he has been on the road. He is the owner of a beautiful home
in Kirby, Ohio. He has not, however, given up entirely his
connection with his former line and still handles a line of car-
bide and gas supplies in his home.

Mr. Fisher was married at Kirby, Ohio, on September 6,
1906, to Miss Clara Miller, a daughter of Mrs. Catherine Mil-

PAST AND PRESENT OF WYANDOT COUNTY

375

ler, of Kirby, Ohio, the wife passing away in March, 1912. In
his political affiliations he is a democrat, stanchly supporting
his party, and his religion is that of the Catholic church. He
also is a member of the Catholic Knights of Ohio and the Illi-
nois Commercial Men’s Association. He is highly respected
and esteemed by all who know him and enjoys the friendship
of many who honor him for the high qualities of his mind and
character and his public-spirited, truly American citizenship.

HOWARD 0. FORNEY.

Since the beginning of his active career, Howard 0. Forney
has been identified with farming interests in Wyandot county
and stands today among the men whose labors have been ele-
ments in the general agricultural development. He owns
seventy-five acres of valuable land on section 3, Jackson town-
ship, a property upon which he has resided since 1897. He
was born in Tuscarawas county, February 2, 1858, and is a
son of John H. and Mary C. (Kohr) Forney, the former of
whom was born in Tuscarawas county, October 12, 1835. He
married January 4, 1857, and came to Wyandot county among
the pioneer settlers, making his home in the fall of 1864 upon
a one hundred and twenty acre tract of timber land, which
he cleared and where he began the work of development. He
spent the early years of his life upon this farm in a crude log
cabin, which he built with his own hands but which was after-
ward replaced by a modern residence. For many years he
carried on general agricultural pursuits, dying upon his farm
May 4, 1894. His wife passed away May 20, 1897. They were
the parents of nine children, Howard O., Lizzie J., Clara B.,
William H., Charles G., Clyde E., George M., Austin and Rus-
sell.

Howard O. Forney attended district school for three
months in each year and in this way acquired an education,
which he afterward supplemented by wide reading and care-
ful observation. He spent his childhood upon his father’s
farm and helped in the clearing of the new tract, becoming
thoroughly familiar with all the details connected with agri-
cultural pursuits. He worked upon the homestead until he
was twenty-three years of age and then moved to one of his

376

PAST AND PRESENT OP WYANDOT COUNTY

father’s farms, whereon he resided for four years. In 1897
he became the owner of a fine farm of seventv-five acres on
section 3, Jackson township, and has since given his attention
to its development. He has built good barns and other sub-
stantial outbuildings and has improved his land along modern
lines, each year gathering rich crops of corn, oats and wheat
as a reward for the care and labor he bestows upon the fields.
He is likewise interested in stock-raising, keeping five horses,
twelve head of cattle and sixty hogs.

Mr. Forney has been twice married. His first union oc-
curred September 15, 1881, when he wedded Miss Dista Eaton,
a daughter of William Eaton. They became the parents of
one daughter, Jessie, who has passed away. Mr. Forney’s
second wife is Azora Van Buren, a daughter of Martin Van
Buren, and to this union were born two children, Martin H.
and Mary M., both of whom live at home. Mr. Forney is a
member of the United Brethren church and politically gives
his allegiance to the progressive party. His enterprising and
progressive spirit has dominated and directed all of his activi-
ties. By constant exertion, associated with good judgment,
he has achieved success and today belongs among the repre-
sentative citizens of this section of the state.

INDEX

Althouse, S. W

Ankeny, J. W

Ayres, B. Q

Bardon, A. F

Bare, J. L

Barnthouse, J. P. . .

Barrett, S. S

Baughman, William

Bear, J. P

Bentges, J. N

Berg, Frederick ....

Binau, John

Black, S. J

Blair, W. L

Bolish, Joseph
Bolish, Theodore . .
Bowen, Gideon . . . .

Bower, J. W

Bowers, L. M

Bretz, S. E

Briihl, G. F

Bringman, A. M. . . ,
Brinkerhoff, M. H. .
Brooks, J. S

Carr, C. C

Cary, G. L

Case, M. Y

Casey, John

Chadwick, N. A . . . .
Chambers, H. G . . . .

Chatlain, C. F

Clemens, T. F

Close, C. F

Constien Brothers .

Coon, G. W

Cuneo, Pietro

Cuneo, R. C

Daughmer, Sarah . .

Dunlap, R. L

Dunlap, S. C

Dwire, H. E

Eckert, G. W

Ehmann, W. J

Emptage, M. R . . . .
Evans, G. S

Fish, A. M

Fisher, Jerome ....

Fleck, Joseph

Fleck, L. A

Forney, H. O

Forney, W. H

Forrer, J. R

Foucht, C. W

Vol. 11—20

Foucht, M. E 159

Fowler, F. A 108

Fowler, R. N 146

Fowler, S. P 207

Fox, F. M 319

Frank, Peter 230

Frazier, C. L 17

Frazier, W. J 77

Gamber, John 135

Gibbs, A. E 237

Gillett, S. B 178

Gipson, W. A 10

Glasco, E. E 353

Glosser, E. X 109

Gonguer, Jacob 39

Gottfried, A. F 339

Gottfried, E. 0 312

Graves, H. F 280

Greer, John 128

Griffith, R. H 169

Grove, J. H 223

Hagerman, R. E 214

Hare, C. B 180

Harman, B. C 364

Hoffman, F. F 298

Hogan, John 246

Hohnald, Henry 359

Holl, E. D 118

Holmes, Frank ‘ 136

Huffman, H. O 29

Hulse, J. J 25

Johnson, A. P 149

Jollie, M. R 50

Juvenal, J. A 204

Ivatzenmeyer, Edward 33

Rear, Henry 58

Keller, George 53

Kennedy, B. F 166

Kinley, Henry 255

Kinley, J. H 83

Kirby, I. M 100

Knapp, V. Iv 175

Kouns, C. C 14

Krupp, Peter 220

Kuenzli, E. D 117

Kuenzli, H. L 287

Kummerer, Gustav 260

Langabaugh, S. S 67

Danker, J. E 70

Laughlin, E. G 314

Leslie, E. R 299

Little, H. C 85

Lowry, E. R 37

377

306

348

68

64

279

243

143

276

326

168

217

270

268

250

47

16

155

275

49

147

269

15

153

360

219

264

300

163

277

215

165

139

69

7

321

184

19

96

285

124

197

208

127

296

66

240

374

38

177

375

347

210

236

378

INDEX

M'cBeth, Robert 194

McClain, E. F 303

McLaughlin, E. E 107

Mankel, I. R 60

Martens, A. H 9

Martin, B. W 325

Martin, W. E 34

Maskey, G. 0 44

Meinzer, C. H 304

Miller, Delevan 98

Montague, W. E 239

Montross, I. J 311

Moore, J. R 97

Moore, L. J 313

Mossbrugger, Frank 27

Moyer, F. L 344

Naus, L. W 35

Neidig, Joseph 80

Neumeister, E. G 126

Newell, H. H 95

Newhard, Herbert 228

Norton, S. P 367

O’Brien, Thomas 63

Oesterley, Charles 76

Osborn, Jay 267

Owen, John 233

Parker, D. C 110

Parker, J. E 199

Petty, J. A 265

Phillips, Samuel 330

Pierman, G. F 20

Plumb, C. F 130

Pontius, I. R 120

Pool, G. W 24

Pool, V. V 216

Ramsdell, H. C 257

Ranck, S. A 273

Reber, Albert 5

Richmond, E.*C 116

Rieser, H. S 45

Rieser, W. H 227

Riley, O. V 157

Robbins, C. A 226

Roberts, C. G 225

Sammet, Frederick 30

Sampson, G. W 74

Savidge, F. W 343

Schlicher, Daniel 329

Schoenberger, M. G 294

Shealy, C. F 40

Sheppard, R. A 48

Slemmer, E. A 334

Smalley, W. M 87

Smith, A. N 140

Smith, C. D 213

Smith, C. F 57

Smith, H. F 174

Smith, R. E 362

Snyder, W. H 93

Stalter, F. J 89

Staum, G. L 245

Stecher, G. J 90

Steck, C. F 328

Stephan, E. F 200

Straser, T. D 160

Straub, Floyd 342

Straw, Eugene 289

Stuckey, Fred 56

Stutz, O. C 354

Swerlein, Edward 318

Thrall, Homer 248

Trowbridge, G. D 150

Ulrich, R. S 258

Uncapher, Philip 290

Underwood, T. E 350

Van Buren, R. C 322

Vogel, Anthony 341

Wagstaff, Ben 249

Watkins, H. C 28

Whitney, A. B 79

Wiest, Charles 363

Wiest, John 352

Wiest, Samuel 284

Williams, J. A H4

Williams, V. E 170

Wonder, J. F 308

W^ynkoop, J. W 205

Zahn, William 370

Zeiter, G. W 336

3779